Wonderful Town leads Bangkok Critics nominations

Hot off its win at the Subhanahongsa Awards, Aditya Assarat's indie romantic drama Wonderful Town is the leading nominee for the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards. With nine nods, it's nominated in nearly all of the 11 categories, including best picture, best director, best screenplay and best actress.

Other leading nominees are Songyos Sugmakanan's teen romance Hormones (Pidterm Yai Huajai Wawun) with seven, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee's three-armed romance Handle Me With Care (Kod), the GTH horror omnibus 4Bia and RS Film's kiddie tug-of-war sports comedy Dream Team with six and the indie psychological thriller The 8th Day with four.

Actor Ananda Everingham is a double nominee for best actor for Happy Birthday and Saibaidee Luang Prabang, the Thai-Laotian co-production that was ignored by the Thai film industry's Subanahongsa Awards. His co-star, Laotian actress Khamly Philavong, is among the best-actress nominees.

And actor-director Pongpat Wachirabungjong is nominated for best director for his sophomore helming effort Happy Birthday and for his supporting role as the bad guy in Chocolate.

Here's the list of nominees:

Best picture

• Handle Me With Care
• Dream Team
• Hormones
• 4Bia
• Wonderful Town

Best director

• Kittikorn Liasirikun (Dream Team)
• Kondej Jaturanrasamee (Handle Me With Care0
• Songyos Sugmakanan (Hormones)
• Pongpat Wachirabunjong (Happy Birthday
• Aditya Assarat (Wonderful Town)

Best actor

• Kiat Kitjaroen (Dream Team)
• Kiatkamol Latha (Handle Me With Care)
• Ananda Everingham (Happy Birthday and Sabaidee Luang Prabang)
• Arak Amornsupasiri (Rak/Sam/Sao)

Best actress

• Khamly Philavong (Sabaidee Luang Prabang)
• Chayanan Manomaisantiphab (Happy Birthday)
• Maneerat Kamuan (4Bia)
• Wasana Chalakorn (The 8th Day)
• Anchalee Saisoontorn (Wonderful Town)

Best supporting actor

• Dul Yamboongring (Wonderful Town)
• Pongpat Wachirabunjong (Chocolate)
• Ratchu Surachalas (Hormones)
• Supakorn Kitsuwan (Art of the Devil 3)
• Sorapong Chatree (Ong-Bak 2)

Best supporting actress

• "Jacqueline" Natradaa Apithananon (Queens of Langkasuka)
• Focus Jirakul (Hormones)
• Sakon Ratwonoorai (Dream Team)
• Sirin Horwang (E-Tim Tai Nae)
• Amara Siripong (Chocolate)

Best screenplay

• Kongdej Jaturanrasamee (Handle Me With Care)
• Kittikorn Liasirikun and Suthipon Taptim (Dream Team)
• Songyos Sugmakanan, Omrapon Paendintong, Montra Koomwon, Thonchai Sailor, Praisaywit Wijitpawan and Nitit Napityasoontin (Hormones)
• Yongyooth Thongkongtoon, Eaksit Thairaat, Paween Purijitpanya, Banjong Pisanthanakun (4Bia)
• Aditya Assarat (Wonderful Town)

Best cinematography

• Naripon Chokanapitak (Handle Me With Care)
• Somchai Leenanurak (The 8th Day)
• Suttipong Kongtong (Sabaidee Luang Prabang)
• Niramon Ross (4Bia)
• Umpornpol Yugala (Wonderful Town)

Best editing

• Kittikorn Liasirikun (Dream Team)
• Sasikarn Suwansuthi and Nithiwat Tharathorn (Hormones)
• Vitcha Gojiew, Thammarat Sumethasupphachok, Paween Purijitpanya, Surawut Tungkharak (4Bia)
• Saravuth Nakajad and Thanapat Taweesuk (Ong-Bak 2)
• Lee Chatametikool (Wonderful Town)

Best score

• Hualumphong Riddim and Wichon Watanasap (Handle Me With Care)
• Banana Team (Hormones)
• Kaiwan Kulavadhanothai (The 8th Day)
• Chartchai Pongprapapan (Queens of Langkasuka)
• Koichi Shimizu and Zai Kuning (Wonderful Town)

Best art direction

• Ek Iamchuen, Bunphot Ngamkum, Rach-chanon Kayanngan, Suprasit Putakham, Wikrom Jenpanus (Queens of Langkasuka)
• Supachai Sangsingsai (The 8th Day)
• Arkadech Kaewkot, Wuttinan Sujaritpong, Sophon Pulsawat, Prachawin Prechgrod and Kanuang Dumgaew (4Bia)
• Suprasit Putakham and Bunphot Ngamkum (Ong-Bak 2)
• Karanyapas Khamsil (Wonderful Town)

I am especially pleased to see a nomination for Maneerat, who did a great job in Happiness, the Hitchcockian first segment of 4Bia.

The awards body was apparently having trouble raising cash to hold a presentation ceremony, according to an item in Daily Xpress last Thursday. But funding was found and the awards show is set for March 11 at the Siam City Hotel.

(Via Deknang, Daily Xpress)