Such is the strength of Thai-made movies that they will not be put into a separate category at the upcoming Bangkok International Film Festival (BIFF) but will instead be placed in general categories alongside films from overseas.
BIFF director of programming, Jennifer Stark, said films made by Thai directors are now so good that they don’t need a special showcase of their own and can compete favourably in an international line-up.
“The films by Thai directors are so strong that there are Thai films in all categories of competition and in every section of the festival,” she added, in a statement just issued.
A total of 15 Thai films will be shown during the 10-day festival.
Among 10 films in the International Competition is Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s Invisible Waves, which has also been chosen as the opening-night film.
Three Thai films have been entered into the ASEAN Competition. They are 3 Friends (by three directors: Mingmongkol Sonakul, Pumin Chinaradee and Aditya Assrat); The Tin Time (directed by Jira Maligool); and Ahimsa: Stop to Run (Kittikorn Laiwsirikun).
Stories from the North (Uruphong Raksasad) has been entered in the documentary section, and two other Thai movies - Innocence (Areeya Chumsai and Nisa Kongsri) and Things that Move: Fireflies (Suwan Huangsirisakul) will be screened in the Reel World section.
Windows on the World features five Thai movies: Dear Dakanda (Khomkrit Treewimol); Oops! There’s Dad (Rutaiwan Wongsirasawad); Ghost of Mae Nak (Mark Duffield); The King Maker (Lek Kitiparaporn); and Art of the Devil 2 (Kongkiat Khomsiri, Art Thamtrakul, Yosapong Polsap, Putipong Saisikaew, Isara Nadee, Pasith Buranajan and Seree Pongniti).
Three of the Thai movies (The Tin Mine, Dear Dakanda, Innocence, and Art of the Devil2 ) are also entered in the Jameson Irish Whisky Popular Thai Film Award section.
BIFF will also feature a retrospective tribute to one of Thailand’s finest actors - Sombat Metanee - screening Angelic Fighter, Blood of the Sun, Tarutao, Devil’s Island, Tears of the Black Tiger, and The Warrior.
Among those confirmed to attend the Festival are Vanessa Redgrave, Terry Gilliam, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Lee, Carlo Nero, Peter Chan, Thom Fitzgerald, Diane Ladd, Deepa Mehta, Bruce Beresford, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Roger Donaldson, Oliver Stone, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Tracie Thoms, Anthony Dod Mantle, Tadanobu Asano, Gang Hy Jung, Danis Tanovic, Vincent Ward, Nadine Monfils, and Christopher Doyle.
What about the Thai Film association ban? what is the festival's reaction about that statement?
Posted by: Bruno Chatelin | February 07, 2006 at 12:40 PM
The BRUKAN Film Advertisement Production Organisation was founded in 2000 with the aim of making good films. For the last two years the company has worked on creating production conditions for its first cinema project, ”Brukan”.
“Brukan” aims to take a special place in world cinema and has been created as a result of careful and long research into the migration experienced in the 1600s.
The project will not only describe the migration that changed Brukan history 400 years ago in the area of Diyarbakir; it also aims to add a new breath, movement and viewpoint to Turkish cinema, culture and art.
“Brukan” holds a mirror to a migration legend that extends from the past to now: 400 years ago, the Brukan were a peaceful nomadic people who lived in honour and had no problems with the Ottoman government. However, when one Ottoman commander abused his position, a migration was started which was to last hundreds of years and was to be full of homesickness and countless suffering.
The continuous and fast migration plot also includes a love story that matches the story of the tribe.
The migration starts in autumn and continues during the difficult conditions of winter. With the death of the tribal leader Şemdin Bey in spring, the journey of the tribe is brought to a vital turning point.
Kasım GÜLTEKİN
Productor
www.brukan.com info@brukan.com
Posted by: kasim gultekin | November 25, 2007 at 06:22 PM