Laddaland wins four at 9th Kom Chad Luek Awards

Thailand's movie awards season is underway, with one of the first major kudosfests held on Thursday night. Now in its ninth year, the Kom Chad Luek Awards honors film, television and music.

The big winner in film was GTH's haunted subdivision thriller Laddaland, which scooped four awards, including best film, best director for Sophon Sakdaphiset and best screenplay for Sophon and co-writer Sophana Chaowitwantkun. Best supporting actress went to Sutadta Udomsil, who played the teen daughter of the haunted family in Laddaland. The film's troubled dad Saharat Sangkapreechat and the mother Piyathida Woramuksik were nominees for best actor and actress.

Pumpuang, the biopic of the late luk thung superstar Pumpuang Duangchang, took the prize for best actress, rightly earned by newcomer singer-actress Paowalee Pornpimon, who also sang at the ceremony. (Though the headlining singer at the show was probably Palmy.) Paowalee's co-star Nattawut Sakidjai won best supporting actor and also won Best Actor in the TV drama for Channel 3’s Khoo Duad. Released by Sahamongkol Film International, Pumpuang (The Moon) was also nominated for best film.

Best actor went to "Peter" Nopachai Jayanama for his performance as a hitman who sees everything upside down in Headshot (Fon Tuek Kuen Fah). Pen-ek Ratanaruang's thriller had also been nominated for best director, best film for studio Local Color and supporting actress for Cris Horwang.

The popular award went to M-Thirtynine's romantic comedy 30 Kamlung Jaew, which was nominated for best actress for "Aum" Patcharapa Chaichua.

In past years, the Kom Chad Luek Awards have set the tone for other awards shows leading up to the industry's "Thai Oscars" the Suphannahong Awards, so Paowalee and Peter could be in line for more trophies this season.

While the big studios were the winners at the Kom Chad Luek Awards, indie players were among the nominees. Sivaroj Kongsakul's Eternity was nominated for best film, director, screenplay and actress; Aditya Assarat's Hi-So was up for best film, director, screenplay, actor (Ananda Everingham) and supporting actress (Sajee Apiwong); and the documentary Baby Arabia was up for best director.

Another leading nominee was Top Secret Wairoon Pun Lan, for screenplay by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, best actor for Patchara Chirathivat and best supporting actor for Somboonsuk "Piak Poster" Niyomsiri.

Put on by the Nation Group's major mass-market Thai daily newspaper, the red-carpet ceremony was accompanied by the usual sights of actresses in low-cut gowns, among them "Ploy" Chermarn Boonyasak, who wasn't a nominee despite having been in two movies last year, the romantic comedy 30+ Singles on Sale and the Rashomon retelling Umong Pa Mueang (which did score a supporting actress nod for scene-stealing Rudklao Amratisha).