Winners of the 1st Doi Saket International Film Festival

The 1st Doi Saket International Film Festival wrapped up on Saturday night, with a ceremony on the grounds of Wat Suan Dok.

I think it's probably historic, unique and definitely so very Thai that the film festival should open and close at a Buddhist temple. Aside from the mountaintop opening venue at Wat Doi Saket and at Wat Suan Dok in the city, films were screened at various locations around Chiang Mai's Doi Saket district and Chiang Mai city.

The closing film was Wisit Sasanatieng's Tears of the Black Tiger (Fah Talai Jone), a western set in 1950s Thailand that's just as timeless today as it was when it first played in Thai cinemas 10 years ago.

Awards were also given on closing night, with the highlight being the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement honor by local Chiang Mai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul to the daughter of the recently deceased photographer, filmmaker, activist and and co-founder and director of Images Asia, Sitthipong “Sam” Kalayanee. A retrospective of his work over 20 years screened as a video installation most every day at the Media Arts & Design building at Chiang Mai University.

The Best Film winner was House of Roses (Dom w różach), a 16-minute short by Kuba Czekay from Poland. It also won for best production design.

Here's the list of winners:

• Best Film – House of Roses, directed by Kuba Czekay (Poland)
• Best Thai Film – Four Seasons, directed by Chaisiri Jiwaragsan, and Whispering Ghost, directed by Taiki Sakpisit (Thailand)
• Best Director – Love Suicides, directed by Edmund Yeo (Malaysia)
• Best Cinematography – Hawker, directed by Dustin Feneley (Australia_
• Best Production Design – House of Roses, directed by Kuba Czekay (Poland)
• Best Editing – Kingyo, directed (and edited) by Edmund Yeo (Malaysia-Japan)
• Best Actor – Main actor from Tailang (Thailand)
• Best Actress – Main actress in Hand Painted Feathers (Philippines)
• Jury Prize – Zarganar, jailed Burmese comedian and subject of This Prison Where I Live, directed by Rex Bloomstein (UK)
• Best Youth Film – No (Thailand)
• Special Mention – To be announced
• Lifetime Achievement – Dome Sukwong, Thai Film Archive
• Lifetime Achievement – Sam Kalayanee (Thailand)

The jury members were Santiphap Inkong-ngam, Pierre Laburthe and Soraya Nakasuwan.


(Via Thomat Chiang Mai e-mail newsletter and "Art" Patavee Viranuvat)