Freelance wins at Bangkok Critics, KCL Awards

Actor Jason Young from F. Hilaire presents the Best Documentary award for The Songs of Rice to producer Pimpaka Towira and director-cinematographer Uruphong Raksasad. Nation photo by Rachanon Intharagsa 

Freelance .. Ham Puay Ham Phak Ham Rak More (ฟรีแลนซ์.. ห้ามป่วย ห้ามพัก ห้ามรักหมอ a.k.a. Heart Attack) is continuing its prize-winning run of Thailand's film and entertainment awards.

On Wednesday, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s hard-working comedy-drama took six prizes in Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards, including Best Film, Director, Actor, Actress and Supporting Actress.

Another major winner was The Blue Hour (Onthakan, อนธการ), It was the leading nominee with 11 nods. The dark gay thriller, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival last year and was recently issued on DVD in the U.S., won awards for Best Editing, Production Design and Best Score. And director and co-writer Anucha Boonyawatana was given a special prize, the Young Filmmaker Award.

Uruphong Raksasad repeated his success with his documentary The Songs of Rice (เพลงของข้าว, Pleng Khong Kao). He won Best Documentary and Best Cinematography for his poetic portrait of rice cultivation across Thailand, the same prizes he won at the Subhanahongsa Awards. Producer Pimpaka Towira joined him on stage to collect the acrylic trophy.

And another favorite of Thai critics, P'Chai My Hero a.k.a. How to Win at Checkers (Every Time), picked up one prize, best supporting actor for Thira Chutikul, who played the gay older brother of the movie's 11-year-old lead character. The child star Ingkarat Damrongsakkul had won the supporting actor prize at the Subhanahongsas.

The success for Freelance follows a major haul of Golden Swan trophies at the film industry's Subhanahongsa Awards, where it won eight prizes. Freelance, or rather Heart Attack as its known internationally, has also collected prizes on the film festival circuit, winning the ABC Award for the most entertaining film at the recent Osaka Asian Film Festival. The Nation had more on that.

There's also the Kom Chad Luek Awards, an entertainment kudos ceremony put on for 13 years now by Nation Multimedia and covering film, television and music. It awarded Freelance five prizes – Best Film, Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress and Best Actor. Thira Chutikul of P'Chai My Hero got the supporting actor trophy and bouquet while Anucha and The Blue Hour were upset winners in the Best Director category.

Three winning men at the Critics Awards, from left, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and Sunny Suwanmethanon from Freelance and Thira Chutikul of P'Chai My Hero. Nation photo by Rachanon Intharagsa 

• Best Film: Freelance Ham Puay Ham Phak Ham Rak More (Heart Attack)
• Best Director: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Freelance
• Best Actor: Sunny Suwanmethanon, Freelance
• Best Actress: Davika Hoorne, Freelance
• Best Supporting Actor: Thira Chutikul, P'Chai My Hero
• Best Supporting Actress: Violette Wautier, Freelance
• Best Screenplay: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Freelance
• Best Editing: Chonlasit Upanigkit and Anuphap Autta, The Blue Hour
• Best Cinematography: Uruphong Raksasad, Phleng Khong Khao (The Songs of Rice)
• Best Production Design: Phairot Siriwath and Vitune Tulakorn, The Blue Hour
• Best Original Score: Chupvit Temnithikul, The Blue Hour
• Best Song: Sud Sai Ta from The Down
• Best Documentary: The Songs of Rice
• Young Filmmaker Award: Anucha Boonyawatana, The Blue Hour
• Lifetime Achievement Awards: Marasri Israngkool Na Ayuthaya and Sompong Wongrakthai

(Via The Nation)