StarPics nominations in chains with Chua Fah Din Salai

The lavish and steamy romantic drama Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity) looks set to sweep through Thailand's movie-awards season, with 12 nominations across 11 categories in the StarPics Awards. Other top StarPics nominees include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Shadow of the Naga, Mundane History and Guan Muen Ho.

Director ML Bhandevanop Devakul's Eternity, starring Ananda Everingham and "Ploy" Chermarn Boonyasak and produced by Sahamongkol Film International, is nominated in every category, including best picture, director, screenplay and best actor and actress. It's the story of a despotic Burmese timber baron (Teerapong Leowrakwong, also a best-actor nominee) who chains together his young wife (Ploy) and his nephew (Ananda) after they're caught cheating on him.

Indie director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Cannes Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives has eight nominations, tied with Sahamongkol Film International's Buddhist-themed crime drama Shadow of the Naga, directed by Phawat Panangkasiri. Both are up for best picture, director and screenplay.

The indie social drama Mundane History by Anocha Suwichakornpong has seven nominations, including best picture, director and score. Mundane's editor Lee Chatametikool is a double nominee, also up for editing honors on Uncle Boonmee.

The much-acclaimed Agrarian Utopia is up for best picture as well as honors for the cinematography by director Uruphong Raksasad.

Interestingly, Uncle Boonmee, Mundane History and Agrarian Utopia are all indie films that only had limited theatrical releases last year. Until recent years, Thailand's movie awards generally concentrated on big industry movies because the independent films usually only played at film festivals.

Studio GTH's popular South Korean travel romance Guan Meun Ho, which was the No. 1 Thai movie at the box office last year, scored five nominations, including best director for Banjong Pisanthanakun and actor and actress nods for the two leads, Chantavit Thanasevi and Neungtida Sophon.

Other best-acting nominees include Jenjira Pongpas from Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. She's the veteran actress who's appeared in most of Apichatpong's features and shorts. Another Kick the Machine stock-company player, Sakda Kaewbuadee, is up for supporting actor for Boonmee.

Young actress "Bai Fern" Pimchanok Luevisetpaibool from the Sahamongkol teen romance Sing Lek Lek Thee Riak Wa … Ruk (First Love), the box-office No. 2 last year, is nominated, as is Apinya Sakuljaroensuk for the indie romance Sammidti (สามมิติ, Behind the Scene), which had a limited release at Bangkok's House cinema.

The supporting-actress category pits veteran singer-actress "Mai" Sirimol Charoenpura, who played a pickpocketing hooker in the Phranakorn horror shorts compilation Tai Hong against her castmate "Kratae" Supaksorn Chaimongkol as well as against her half sister, "Sai" Intira Charoenpura, who played a prostitute in Shadow of the Naga.

The acting category also includes comedian Choosak Iamsuk for his lead role in Yuthlert Sippapak's hitman comedy Saturday Killer and Somchai Kemklad as a bank robber who dons monk's robes in Shadow of the Naga. Veteran actor Sa-ad Piampongsan is nominated in the supporting category, also for Shadow of the Naga.

Eternity earlier swept the most prizes in the Kom Chad Luek Awards. Other awards still to come include the Bangkok Critics Assembly and top industry honors, the Subhanahongsa Awards.

Here's the list of nominees:


Score

• Guan Meun Ho (Hello Stranger), Chatchai Pongprapaphan, Krissanasak Kantathamwawong
• Jao Nok Krajok (Mundane History), Photosticker Machine, Furniture
• Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity), Chamras Saewataporn
• Rao Song Sam Khon (That Sounds Good), Giant Wave, Mongkol Pongwachirin, Prawit Keskasem
• Insee Daeng (The Red Eagle), Wild at Heart

Art direction

• Jao Nok Krajok (Mundane History), Parinda Moongmaipho
• Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity), Siranat Ratchusanti
• Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga), Sophon Pulsawat
• Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Akekarat Homlaor
• Insee Daeng (The Red Eagle), Wittaya Chaimongkol, Phairot Siriwath, Pallop Chomtawor

Cinematography

• Jao Nok Krajok (Mundane History), Ming Kai Leung
• Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity), Teerawat Rujintham
• Rao Song Sam Khon (That Sounds Good), Thamjaroen Promphan, Somsak Srisawat
• Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Yukontorn Mingmongkon, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
• Sawan Baan Na (Agrarian Utopia), Uruphong Raksasad

Editing

• Guan Meun Ho (Hello Stranger), Thammarat Sumetsupachok
• Jao Nok Krajok (Mundane History), Lee Chatametikool
• Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity), Sunij Asavinikul, Phannipha Kabillikavanich
• Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga), Tawat Siripon
• Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Lee Chatametikool

Screenplay

• Jao Nok Krajok (Mundane History), Anocha Suwichakornpong
• Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity), ML Bhandevanop Devakul
• Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga), Koses Charittiporn, Nut Nualpang, Phawat Panangkasiri
• Baan Chan ... Talok Wai Gon (Por Son Wai) (The Little Comedian), Aummaraporn Phandintong, Wittaya Thongyuyong, Mez Tharatorn.
• Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Supporting actress

• Daraneenuch Pothipithi, Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity)
• Lakkana Wattanawongsiri, Namtan Daeng (Brown Sugar)
• Supaksorn Chaimongkol, Tai Hong (Still, a.k.a. Die a Violent Death)
• Sirimol Charoenpura, Tai Hong (Still, a.k.a. Die a Violent Death)
• Intira Charoenpura, Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga)

Supporting actor

• Jaturong Phonboon, Baan Chan ... Talok Wai Gon (Por Son Wai) (The Little Comedian)
• Sakda Kaewbuadee, Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives)
• Sakkaraj Rerkthamrong, Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity)
• Sa-ad Piampongsan, Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga)

Actress

• Jenjira Pongpas, Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives)
• "Ploy" Chermarn Boonyasak, Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity)
• Pimchanok Luevisetpaibool, Sing Lek Lek Thee Riak Wa … Ruk (First Love)
• Neungtida Sophon, Guan Muen Ho (Hello Stranger)
• Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Sammidti (Behind the Scenes)

Actor

• Chantavit Thanasevi, Guan Muen Ho (Hello Stranger)
• Choosak Iamsuk, Meu Peun Dao Pra Sao (Saturday Killer)
• Teerapong Leowrakwong, Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity)
• Somchai Kemklad, Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga)
• Ananda Everingham, Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity)

Director

• Banjong Pisanthanakun, Guan Muen Ho (Hello Stranger)
• ML Bhandevanop Devakul, Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity)
• Phawit Panangkasiri, Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga)
• Anocha Suwichakornpong, Jao Nok Krajok (Mundane History),
• Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives)

Best picture

• Jao Nok Krajok (Mundane History), Houdini Studio
• Chua Fah Din Salai (Eternity), Sahamongkol Film International
• Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga), Sahamongkol Film International
• Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Kick the Machine
• Sawan Baan Na (Agrarian Utopia), Extra Virgin