13 Beloved, The House head to Brussels

The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival has just unveiled its full program, and among the films in this genre extravaganza are two Thai films: 13 Beloved and The House.

My favorite Thai film of 2006, and one of the best to come along in a long while, 13 Beloved is a searing psychological thriller directed by Chukiat Sakweerakul and starring Noi Sukosol as a failed band-instrument salesman who is drawn into an increasingly degrading and dangerous underground Internet reality game.

Critically hailed in Thailand, 13 Beloved has been steadily picking up accolades around the world, including Best Asian Film at Montreal's Fantasia Festival and the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation Asian Film Award at the Puchon fest last year. It will soon be released on DVD in the U.S. by Dimension Extreme, with a cover that I find distasteful and a bit deceptive, but I am nonetheless hopeful the film will find the audience it is intended for.

At Brussels, it is in the International Competition.

The House was released last year, and I missed it for reasons that I can't explain. Directed by Monthon Arayangkoon and starring Nang Nak's Intira Jareonpura, the story is based on a true-crime case about some murders that took place in a creepy old house. Intira portrays a young journalist trying to uncover the truth about what happened in that house. The film did fairly well at the box office and even garnered some critical acclaim for its social commentary.

Also of interest in Brussels from Southeast Asia is the Indonesian film-noir thriller, Kala: Dead Time, by Joko Anwar.

The 26th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival fruns from March 27 to April 8.

More information:

• US DVD release for 13: Game of Death
• Review: 13 Beloved
• Revisiting The House
• BIFFF synopsis for 13 Beloved
• BIFFF synopsis for The House
• 13 Beloved trailer at YouTube
• The House trailer at YouTube

(Via Twitch)