Guest post: Wrapping up Filmart 2016

Booths at Filmart. Photo by Keith Barclay.

Keith Barclay is editor of the New Zealand film industry publication Screenz. A sponsored journalist covering Filmart, he offers Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal tailored coverage of Filmart, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum and the Asian Film Awards.

Hong Kong's Filmart wrapped on March 17. With 800 exhibitors and 7,300 registered buyers, the event set a new attendance record on the occasion of its 20th edition. It's a long way from the 75 invited exhibitors who took part in the inaugural 1997 event. Filmart is Asia's largest entertainment market event by some distance. Depending how it's measured, it's one of the world's top three or top five.

Strongly supported over the years by Hong Kong's own production and distribution community, a solid core of Thai distributors has been doing business there for several years. There are also several distributors from elsewhere carrying Thai product as part of a broader offer.

The most prominent Thai distributors at this year's Filmart were Five Star and Mono, each carrying a catalog of the more commercial Thai fare – mostly horrors, comedies and romantic comedies. Mono presented a large amount of its TV product as part of its offer. Both stands were busy during the market.

Five Star had Achira Nokthet's Ghost Ship (มอญซ่อนผี, Mon Son Phee) and Surussavadi Chuarchart's F.Hilaire (ฟ.ฮีแลร์), both released in Thai cinemas last year. Also in Five Star's catalogue, although a little older, was Issara Nadee's 2012 feature 407 Dark Flight. Thailand's first 3D horror feature, it has other Hong Kong connections having been shot by another of Filmart's regular exhibitors, Percy Fung's Hong Kong-based 3D Magic.

Representing the Thai government, the Thailand Film Office was one of a number of film offices from the region looking to attract business, productions looking to shoot in Asian locations or use services in the region. This year, the Thai team had a number of bites at the cherry with two umbrella organisations specializing in film attraction also exhibiting. AFCNet, the Asian organisation formed out of the worldwide International Association of Film Commissioners (AFCI) had a stand, as did Film Asean which, as it says on the box, represents the interests of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Film Asean arrived in Hong Kong having made a good splash at its launch at the Berlinale's European Film Market in February.

The organization has been in development for four years, and has set both outward and inward-facing goals. In Southeast Asia, Film Asean will offer services including a touring mini-festival to introduce films from other countries in the region to regional audiences. For industry members, it will also support training and upskilling initiatives to help develop each country's own production capability and to better service the (usually more lucrative) inbound productions.

In 2013 Thailand introduced its own initiative to increase awareness of the country's potential and attract more inbound production. In the face of improving incentive schemes offered by other countries' governments, the Thailand International Film Destination Festival focused on promoting international titles shot in Thailand. Over the years, many of those titles have used Thailand to double for another part of Asia – most frequently Vietnam for a spate of Hollywood war films from Casualties of War to The Deer Hunter.

More recent high-profile titles such as The Hangover and Xu Zheng's Lost in Thailand might help drive awareness of what Thailand has to offer but, as neighbor Malaysia has discovered at the Pinewood Iskandar studios, it's not all about the blockbusters. Often the longer-running, lower-profile international titles – especially TV shows – keep people working week in and week out and create better opportunities for developing crew members' skills.

As well as distributors selling product at Filmart, production service companies also promote their services. Thai post-production and visual-effects specialists Yggdrazil and Kantana were both present. While Yggdrazil is probably better known internationally for its work in advertising, Kantana has been well-known in Hong Kong for several years, not least for its work on Wong Kar-Wai's Cannes-premiered 2046.

Other Thai post houses also present in Hong Kong were G2D (the former Technicolor facility in Bangkok) and White Light, which presented prizes at the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum, which ran alongside Filmart. Sway director Rooth Tang's March April May was among the projects selected for this year's HAF.

Both events form part of the umbrella Hong Kong Entertainment Expo, which draws to a close this weekend with the presentation of the Hong Kong Film Awards and the end of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Thai titles playing in this year's HKIFF were Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Cemetery of Splendour, well-travelled since its Cannes premiere 10 months ago, and The Island Funeral by Pimpaka Towira, which won the Best Asian Future Film Award at last year's Tokyo International Film Festival.

Both directors' previous features, Apichatpong's Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Pimpaka's One Night Husband respectively, also played in past editions of the Hong Kong fest.

Filmart (14 – 17 March) ran as part of the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo, along with film financing forum/project market HAF (14 – 16 March), and the Hong Kong International Film Festival (21 March – 4 April).

Guest post: White Light, G2D present post-production awards at HAF

Lee Chatametikool, right, hands over the White Light Post-Production Award to makers of the Vietnamese film The Third Wife.

Keith Barclay is editor of the New Zealand film industry publication Screenz. A sponsored journalist covering Filmart, he offers Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal tailored coverage of Filmart, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum and the Asian Film Awards.

Story and photo by Keith Barclay

The 14th edition of the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) handed out 14 awards, although not to 14 filmmakers as a number of projects got to visit the stage more than once.

Thai Director Rooth Tang's March April May didn't win an award, but that didn't make the event a failure for him. Bangkok post-production facility White Light sponsored one of the awards, which was won by Vietnamese director Nguyen Phuong Anh's The Third Wife. Nguyen's project also won the headline HAF award.

HAF received a record 350+ project submissions, naming 31 from 15 countries and regions for this year's edition. Not all projects are eligible for consideration for all prizes, but the value of the awards was almost HK$1.5 million in cash and in-kind services.

Organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, the event saw the festival's former vice chair return for a second year running. Taiwanese actress, director and producer Sylvia Chang last year opened the HKIFF with Murmurs of the Heart. This year, René Liu's Lieutenant Yi, produced by Chang, took HAF's Wanda Film Award.

Other well-known filmmakers visiting the podium were Filipino Lav Diaz, whose A Lullaby To The Sorrowful Mystery recently won a Silver Bear at the Berlinale. In Hong Kong, Diaz's project When the Waves are Gone took HAF's Paris Coproduction Village Award, which will send him back to Europe for the Champs-Elysèes Film Festival's project market.

Three projects took two awards each. Wang Bing's Hong Kong-China documentary project Border Bride took the Fushan award for development and G2D award for post; Wen Muye's China project Dying to Survive took the Artention incubator and iQIYI special awards.

Film financing forum/project market HAF (14 – 16 March), ran as part of the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo, which also includes FILMART (14 – 17 March), and the Hong Kong International Film Festival (21 March – 4 April).

The HAF Awards were presented 16 March in Hong Kong. The winners were:

HAF Awards
Presented by Create Hong Kong, Hong Kong Film Development Fund and the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF). Two cash awards of HK$150,000 (approx. US$19,350)

• Hong Kong project award: Vampire Diary, Director Anthony Yan  and Hang Chiu, Producer Ha Yu and Mani Man
• Hong Kong International project award: The Third Wife (working title), Director Nguyen Phuong Anh, Producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, Vietnam

iQIYI Special Award
Cash award of HK$100,000 (approx. US$12,900) to encourage and support young film talents from Chinese speaking territories

• Dying to Survive, Director Wen Muye, Producer Ning Hao, China

HAF/Fox Chinese Film Development Award
Cash award of HK$100,000 (approx. US$12,900) to encourage the development of Chinese-language cinema

• Brothers, Director Jong Yu, Producer Jin Ong and Roland Lee, Malaysia

HAF Script Development Fund
Cash award of US$10,000 (approx. HK$77,500) to encourage Chinese-language scripts

• Heavy Craving, Writer/Director Pei-Ju Hsieh, Producer Jing Wang

Wanda Film Award
Cash award of HK$100,000 (approx. US$12,900) to a Chinese-language feature film project for its originality and creativity

• Lieutenant Yi, Director René Liu, Producer Sylvia Chang and Patricia Cheng Lai-chan, Taiwan

Fushan Documentary Award
Cash award of HK$100,000 (approx. US$12,900) for development of a documentary feature

• Border Bride, Director WANG Bing, Producer Isabelle GLACHANT, Hong Kong, China

Wouter Barendrecht Award
Cash award of HK$50,000 (approx. US$6,450), dedicated to the memory of the late Wouter Barendrecht, one of the founders of HAF and Fortissimo Films

• Inking a Last Masterpiece, Director Uchijima Usuke, Producer Kawabata Kohei, Japan

The Artention Film Award
Cash award of HK$50,000 (approx. US$6,450) to encourage projects that exhibit high artistic and commercial potential. Winner will also receive priority entry into Artention Film Incubator

• Dying to Survive, Director Wen Muye, Producer Ning Hao, China

Paris Coproduction Village Award
In-kind award of Euro 4,000 (approx. HK$36,000) for a round-trip ticket to participate in the Paris Coproduction Village of Champs-Elysèes Film Festival 2016

• When the Waves are Gone, Director Lav Diaz, Producer Bianca Balbuena and Bradley Liew, The Philippines

Network of Asian Fantastic Films Award
In-kind award of US$2,700 (approx. HK$20,900) for a round-trip ticket and hotel accommodation to the filmmaker whose project is selected for NAFF

• Hypnotize the Jury, Director Paul Sze Pak-lam and Kenneth Lai Siu-kwan, Producer Tin Kai-man, Hong Kong

Wutianming Post Production Award
In-kind award of RMB 300,000 (approx. HK$350,400) for a selected HAF Chinese project to receive post-production services at Wutianming's post-production base in Tianjin

• Lhamo and Skalbe, Director Sonthar Gyal, Producer Sonam Rinchen Gyal, China

White Light Post-Production Award
In-kind award of US$15,000 (approx. HK$116,200) for post-production services by White Light Studio in Bangkok

• The Third Wife (working title), Director Nguyen Phuong Anh, Producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, Vietnam

G2D Post-Production Award
In-kind award of US$10,000 (approx.HK$77,500) for post-production works at G2D in Bangkok

• Border Bride, Director Wang Bing, Producer Isabelle Glachant, Hong Kong, China

Review: Sway

• Written and directed by Rooth Tang
• Starring Matt Wu, Lu Huang, Kris Wood Bell, Kazohiko Nishimura, Ananda Everingham, Sajee Apiwong
• Limited release in Thailand on December 10, 2015; rated 18+
• Wise Kwai's rating: 4/5

Fragments from around the globe form a story in Sway, the ambitious debut feature from Thai-American director Rooth Tang.

In three cities, there are couples going through the motions, but are somehow stuck:

• In Paris, Chinese-American drifter Arthur (Matt Wu) has just landed at the airport. While trying to figure out his next move, he tentatively reconnects with his girlfriend Vivian (Lu Huang), a former TV star from China who is trying to make it as a serious journalist. Arthur then gets news from home that his parents might get a divorce.
• In Los Angeles, Amanda (Kris Wood Bell), the Caucasian second wife of widowed Japanese businessman Eric (Kazohiko Nishimura) feels she is on shaky ground with her husband's teenage daughter Grace (Miki Ishikawa). She is giving her young stepmum the silent treatment.
• And in Bangkok, well-travelled Thai hipster Palm (Ananda Everingham) romances less-worldly office girl June (Sajee Apiwong) and fills her head with dreams about future destinations. She also has a belly full of Palm's baby, and is afraid of what will happen if she tells him he's a father.

It's the first feature from Rooth, a graduate in film studies from the University of California, Irvine. He was raised in America by Thai parents, and took inspiration from his mum and dad, who had participated in the pro-democracy movement at Thammasat University in the 1970s, but then moved to the US. In short, he wondered, what was that like?

Filming started in Bangkok in August 2010, just months after the red-shirt anti-government demonstrations. At the time, Rooth was unsure whether his project would be a short film or develop into something longer. Thanks to a windfall and financial help from his parents, who are among the producers, the Los Angeles segment was added, and then to Paris, where filming wrapped up in 2013. After a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, Sway has swung around the globe, with appearances in Taipei's Golden Horse fest and the Singapore International last year and this year's Shanghai fest.

Sway draws its influences from the expressionist palette of Wong Kar-wai's films, the globalized existentialist angst of Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel and the quietly simmering family dysfunction of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata.

Sway will also seem particularly familiar to fans of independent Thai cinema, thanks to its coincidental connections to two recent Thai indie movies that also dealt with brooding Asians who are adrift in the world - Aditya Assarat's Hi-So and Lee Chatametikool's Concrete Clouds. Both featured Ananda in similar roles of a rootless vagabond of sorts, and Hi-So actually featured both Ananda and Sajee. Both films were also by directors whose backgrounds are similar to Rooth's - they are all foreign-schooled Thai filmmakers seeking to express feelings of being caught between Eastern and Western cultures but not really sure which side to pick.

Those connections were further solidified in post-production, which was completed in Bangkok at White Light studio, under supervision of Lee.

Rooth is seeking to develop a style that is distinct from those he's influenced by, coincidental or not. With Sway, he drops you into people's lives mid-stream, but you don't need to paddle to keep up. Instead, it's best to just float along and watch the stories unfold.

The intended result is that the audience has the same ill-at-ease feeling as the characters, who themselves aren't really sure who they are or what they should be doing. Romantic chemistry is palpable, especially with the Paris and Bangkok couples. Dialogue is clipped and spare, with smoldering sidelong glances, angry grimaces or worried frowns doing most of the narrative heavy lifting.

It's left to minor supporting characters to finally and fully explain what motivates the main ones, with June's pragmatic Thai mother putting her at ease, and the Japanese-American teenager to explain why she's been so awful to her stepmother. In Paris, Arthur's mother turns up to reflect on her life as an immigrant and help point her son in a definite direction.

Real-world events place the three segments in different times and help ground them, with the political crisis of 2008 to 2010 providing the backdrop of the Bangkok story, while Barack Obama's re-election as U.S. president in 2012 is referenced in L.A. France's intervention in Mali is mentioned in the Paris segments.

Symbolism and metaphors crop up frequently, mostly noticeably in the Bangkok segments, where the small composite-plastic figure of a bird represents the ambitions of Palm, who thinks he can get rich making widgets from the hi-tech hybrid material. The bird is later found shattered on the floor, along with the possibility of broken dreams. But then another stork-like symbol emerges on the Bangkok skyline - a construction crane - representing hopes for the future.

See also:

• Sway on Facebook

Related posts:

• In Thai cinemas: Sway

(Cross-published in The Nation)

Thai culture comes to Piccadilly in the Thai Film Festival U.K.

Thailand's Ministry of Culture is bringing seven recent films to London in the Thai Film Festival U.K., which runs from June 25 to 27 at the Princess Anne Theatre at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Piccadilly, London, home of the Bafta Awards.

A mix of mainstream commercial features, including action and horror, as well as animation plus an independent drama and a documentary, the Thai Film Festival will open with the GTH studio's award-winning drama The Teacher's Diary (คิดถึงวิทยา, Kid Tueng Wittaya), directed by Nitiwat Taratorn starring actress "Ploy" Chermarn Boonyasak, who will both be present for the screening.

Another award-winning entry is indie director Lee Chatametikool's drama Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak), which is also part of the Thai Indie Fest being put on by U.K. distributor Day for Night.

Londoners will also get the latest adaptation of Plae Kao (แผลเก่า, a.k.a. The Scar), a Thai literary classic by Mai Muengderm. A star-crossed romance set in suburban Bangkok in the 1930s, it has been adapted many times for film and TV, with Cherd Songsri's 1977 feature being the best regarded. But last year, dramatist and frequent movie-remaker ML Bhandevanov "Mom Noi" Devakula offered his own interpretation, with fresh-faced stars Chaiyapol Julian Pupart from Mom Noi's Jan Dara remake and Davika Hoorne from Pee Mak Phra Khanong as the leads. According to The Nation, Mom Noi has created an "international version" for the London screening, which adds 45 more minutes to the cut that was released in Thai cinemas last August.

Genre-film fans will be paid service with martial-arts star Tony Jaa's swan song with the Sahamongkol studio, Tom-Yum-Goong 2, and from Five Star Production, there's director Tiwa Methaisong's supernatural horror thriller Ghost Coins (เกมปลุกผี, Game Plook Phi).

The painstaking efforts by Thailand's animation industry are featured in The Story of Mahajanaka (พระมหา ชนก ), an adaptation of a devotional tale written by His Majesty the King.

Finally, there's a more-grounded look at contemporary Thai life in Krisda Tipchaimeta's critically hailed documentary Somboon (ปู่สมบรูณ์, Poo Somboon), which follow the extraordinary efforts of an ordinary elderly gentleman as he provides round-the-clock care for his chronically ailing wife of 45 years.

The film fest is part of the Totally Thai celebrations, put together by MiniCult in honor of the 60th birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Other activities include a classical dance show at Royal Albert Hall tomorrow night – 130 years after a historic khon performance there for Queen Victoria – and Thailand Eye, a contemporary art exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in November and December.

The film festival is free, but reservations are required. Check Facebook for more details.

Concrete Clouds float over London in Thai Indie Fest

U.K. independent movie distributor Day for Night is releasing Lee Chatametikool's award-winning drama Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak) as part of the first Thai Indie Fest in London, which will screen several other award-winning indie Thai titles over the next month or so.

In fact, Thai Indie Fest got underway yesterday with a screening of Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit's 36. Other entries are Tongpong Chantarangkul's road trip tale I Carried You Home, Aditya Assarat's post-tsunami romance Wonderful Town and Anocha Suwichakornpong's social drama Mundane History.

Up next on June 9 is I Carried You Home (Padang Besar, ปาดังเบซา), about two estranged sisters who are forced back together by the death of their mother, for a tense cross-country road trip with the corpse in the back of an ambulance. It screens at 8pm on June 9 at COG ARTSpace.

Wonderful Town, in which an architect planning a new development in an isolated town hit by the tsunami, strikes up a relationship with a hotel manager, screens at 7.15pm on Tuesday, June 23 at the Proud Archivist.

Concrete Clouds, which is set in Bangkok during 1997 financial crisis, brings together two estranged brothers after the suicide of their father. While the older brother (Ananda Everingham) tries to get things in order at home and attempts to reconnect with an old girlfriend, the aimless younger brother strikes up a relationship with a lonely neighbor girl.

It is the feature directorial debut for Lee, who is well known for his work as a film editor, particularly his collaborations with Apichatpong Weeraesthakul, most recently on Cemetery of Splendour (รักที่ขอนแก่น, Rak Ti Khon Kaen), which premiered at last month's Cannes Film Festival.

There are several events to mark the release of Concrete Clouds, with a screening at noon on June 27 at the Rich Mix with Lee doing a post-screening talk. He'll also be on hand for a show at 8.10pm on June 28 at the Ritzy and 7.30pm on July at the Regent Street Cinema. Concrete Clouds is also showing at the Watershed in Bristol from June 26 to July 2.

And Thai Indie Fest wraps up with Mundane History, a slow-burn social-class drama about the paralyzed son of a wealthy family being cared for by a male nurse from a rural upbringing. The screening is at 7pm on July 6 at the Regent Street Cinema.

"The Thai independent film scene is thriving, with a new generation of filmmakers coming to the fore. Often carrying undertones of social, political or economic uncertainty and realities in contemporary Thailand, common themes emerge – memory and imagination, love and loss, decay and regeneration," Day for Night says. "Thai Indie Fest will celebrate some of the freshest filmmaking from the Thai independent scene with a season of award‐winning debut features by Thai 'second new wave' directors."

All the films, winners of multiple awards in Thailand and abroad, share several other common threads, mainly Lee himself, an award-winning film editor who helped shape Mundane History and Wonderful Town. I'm pretty sure he was post-production supervisor on 36 and lash me with noodles if he wasn't involved somehow with I Carried You Home.

Also, there's actress Apinya Sakuljareonsuk, who stars in both Concrete Clouds and I Carried You Home. She just recently won a Tukkata Tong Award for best supporting actress for her work in Concrete Clouds.

Last Executioner, Teacher's Diary, I Fine win Tukkata Tong Awards

From left, Don Linder, Tom Waller, Katrina Grose and Vithaya Pansringarm from The Last Exectioner, winner of the best picture and best screenplay prizes. Photo courtesy of Tom Waller.

Snubbed by the Thai film industry's Subhanahongsa Awards, the cast and crew of The Last Executioner were feeling vindicated last night after winning best picture and screenplay at the 30th Surasawadee Awards (รางวัลพระสุรัสวดี) at the Thailand Cultural Center.

Put on by the Thai Entertainment Reporters Association, the long-running movie kudos also gave floral bouquets to The Teacher's Diary  (คิดถึงวิทยา, Kid Tueng Wittaya) and  I Fine ... Thank You ... Love You (ไอฟาย..แต๊งกิ้ว..เลิฟยู้). The actual awards, the Tukkata Tong (Golden Doll) statuettes, will be given out later in the year in royally appointed ceremonies.

Directed by Tom Waller and produced by Handmade Distribution, Tiger Entertainment and De Warrenne Pictures, The Last Executioner (เพชฌฆาต, Petchakat) had been nominated in six categories, including best director, best actor for "Pu" Vithaya Pansringarm, score by Olivier Lliboutry and costumes by Panyawan Nimjareanpong. The fact-based biographical screenplay by Don Linder and Katrina Grose recounted the moral and spiritual struggles of Thai prison guard Chavoret Jaruboon, who executed 55 death-row inmates with his rifle. He was the last to carry out the deadly deed with a firearm before the prison system switched to lethal injection. But he also was haunted by bad karma, which took on the form of various characters, such as David Asavonond's "spirit". The cast also included Penpak Sirikul, Jaran "See Tao" Petcharoen and Somdet Kaew-ler.

The Teachers' Diary was the leading nominee with 15 nods. In addition to best director for Nithiwat Taratorn, the GTH romantic drama about star-crossed teachers at a floating rural schoolhouse was also awarded for cinematography and art direction.

Another GTH picture, the English-tutoring rom-com I Fine ... Thank You ... Love You took the top acting prizes. It starred "Ice" Preechaya Pongthananikorn as a celebrity English-language tutor who agrees to teach a boorish factory worker (leading man Sunny Suwanmethinon) who wants to win back his U.S.-based ex-girlfriend. It had received three nominations, and in addition to the actor trophies, it was also honored for being the top-grossing Thai film of 2014.

Other honors went to the indie financial-crisis drama Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak), which had 11 nominations. Apinya Sakuljaroensuk took the supporting actress prize for her brave turn as a young woman who has a fling with a woefully naive guy in a neighboring 1997 Bangkok apartment. Writer-director Lee Chatametikool was among a host of folks receiving special honors.

The supporting actor prize went to Pichaya Nitipaisankul from the Phranakorn horror omnibus Tai Hong Tai Hian (ตายโหงตายเฮี้ยน), in which he played a former monk haunted by an ex-girlfriend. The gory Tai Hong Tai Hian (I'll call it Die a Violent Death 2) also won for hair and makeup.

Three documentaries were among the honorees: The Master, about influential Bangkok bootleg video king Van VDO, with best editing; Somboon, about an elderly husband caring for his chronically ailing wife, with best song, and By the River (สายน้ำติดเชื้อ, Sai Nam Tid Shoer), about a Karen village devastated by lead-mining waste, with best score by the Karen musicians.

Animation and 3D movies were also recognized, with the animated The Story of Mahajanaka (พระมหา ชนก) winning the honor for films paying tribute to His Majesty the King. The devotional fantasy is based on a story written by His Majesty. And Five Star Production's horror omnibus 3AM 3D Part 2 was noted for its special effects and sound.

Leaving empty handed was the romantic comedy-drama Chiang Khan Story (Tukkae Rak Pang Mak, ตุ๊กแกรักแป้งมาก), which scored big at the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards and the 12th Kom Chad Luek Awards and another leading nominee, Timeline Jodmai Khwam Songjam (Timeline จดหมาย-ความทรงจำ).

The Last Executioner cast and crew. Photo courtesy of Tom Waller.

Here are the winners in the 30th Surasawadee Awards:

• Best picture – The Last Executioner
• Director – Nithiwat Taratorn, The Teacher's Diary
• Actor – Sunny Suwanamethanon, I Fine ... Thank You ... Love You
• Actress – Preechaya Pongthananikorn, I Fine ... Thank You ... Love You
• Supporting actor – Pichaya Nitipaisankul, Tai Hong Tai Hian
• Supporting actress – Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Concrete Clouds
• Screenplay – Don Linder and Katrina Grose, The Last Executioner
• Cinematography – Narupon Chokkanapitak, The Teacher’s Diary
• Film editing – Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, The Master
• Art direction – Akradej Kaewkote, The Teacher’s Diary
• Costumes – Phoobao Thai Baan: E-San Indy
• Hair and makeup – Tai Hong Tai Hian
• Score – By the River (สายน้ำติดเชื้อ, Sai Nam Tid Shoer)
• Song – “Chan Ja Fan Tueng Ter” by Suphatra Inthonphakdi (Danu Huntrakun, composer), Somboon
• Sound – 3AM 3D Part 2 (ตีสาม คืนสาม 3D, Tee Sam Khuen Sam Sam D)
• Special effects – 3AM 3D Part 2
• Most popular film – I Fine ... Thank You ... Love You
• Buddhist film – The Story of Mahajanaka (พระมหา ชนก )
• Lifetime achievement awards – MC Chatrichalerm Yukol, Rong Kaomoonkadee, Aranya Ngarmwong, Thanit Watrothai,
• Rising stars: Thanapob Leeratanakajorn, Chonthida Asavahame
• Outstanding director – Lee Chatametikool, Concrete Clouds
• Popular actor – Sukrit Wisetkaew, The Teacher's Diary
• Popular actress – Davika Hoorne, Plae Kao (แผลเก่า, a.k.a. The Scar)

(Via Daily News, Matichon)

Bangkok Critics award Tukkae Rak Pang Mak

Producer Adirek "Uncle" Watleela takes the microphone to accept the best film award for Tukkae Rak Pang Mak. He also took the stage to accept awards for his friend Yuthlert Sippapak. Nation photo by Tatchadon Panyaphanitkul.

The nostalgic romantic comedy Tukkae Rak Pang Mak (Chiang Khan Story) took the top prizes at the 23rd Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards (ชมรมวิจารณ์บันเทิง) on Wednesday night, winning trophies for Best Film, director, screenplay and acting.

While writer-director Yuthlert Sippapak wasn't on hand to accept his awards, the team of producers from the new shingle Transformation Films was there, among them Yuthlert's long-time collaborator, producer Adirek "Uncle" Watleela.

Released last September, Tukkae Rak Pang Mak chronicled the 20 or so years in the rocky romance of childhood friends in Chiang Khan, the rustic town on the Mekong River in Northeast Thailand's Loei province, where Yuthlert calls home. It was the first release from Transformation, which is a partnership between the producers behind the former Film Bangkok marque and Major Cineplex, Thailand's biggest multiplex operator. It performed only modestly at the box office, so the awards haul was welcomed by the Transformation team.

The actor who played Tukkae, Jirayu La-ongmanee, a former child star, repeated his success from the Thai film industry's "Oscars", the Subhanahongsa Awards. He won the prize for best actor for his portrayal of a young filmmaker who is named after a house lizard. He faces an awkward situation when his first screenplay is to be made into a movie, and producers want his former childhood crush to be the star. But she and Tukkae had a big misunderstanding.

Jirayu's co-star Kongkiat Komsiri was named best supporting actor for his turn as Tukkae's level-headed best friend. Though Kongkiat has appeared on screen before, he's better known as a director of gritty movies like Slice and Muay Thai Chaiya. Hopefully his next one, the historical action drama Khun Pan (ขุน พันธ์ ), will actually be released this year.

Another big winner was Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit's The Master, a documentary about the enigmatic Bangkok movie pirate Mr. Van, whose bootleg videos provided a generation of Thai filmmakers and critics with an education in world cinema in the days before bitorrent downloads. A colorful array of prominent directors and movie critics appear in the film, sharing their memories of Van VDO in talking-head interviews against a simple backdrop. It was named best documentary and was also awarded for film editing.

Another documentary, Nontawat Numbenchapol's By the River, about a Karen village left devastated by lead mining, won for its original score by Karen musicians.

And the GTH studio's hit romantic drama The Teacher's Diary (คิดถึงวิทยา, Kid Tueng Wittaya) took two prizes, for cinematography and art direction.

With nods in nearly every category, the leading nominee was Lee Chatametikool's 1997-set drama Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak), which took the top prizes at the Subhanahongsa Awards. At the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards, it ended up with just one trophy, for best supporting actress for Apinya Sakuljaroensuk.

Lee was also among the nominees for the Critics Young Filmmaker Awards, which were introduced last year. Perhaps the Bangkok Critics were confused, since Concrete Clouds was Lee's first feature as a director, and while he's still a relatively young man, he's been overseeing award-winning editing and post-production for indie and commercial features in Bangkok for more than a decade.

Other Young Filmmaker nominees included Vorakorn Ruetaivanichkul, director of Mother, Chonlasit Upanigkit, director of W., and Krisada Tipchaimeta who made Somboon, all first features from rookie filmmakers. The prize went to Uten Sririvi and Jinnaphat Ladarat, who made the indie country comedy Phoobao Thai Baan E-San Indy (ผู้บ่าวไทบ้าน อีสานอินดี้, or simply PBTB), which caused something of a stir when it was first turned down by Bangkok multiplex operators but became a box-office hit in Thailand's rural Northeast.

There's more on the ceremony in a story in The Nation today.

• Best Film: Tukkae Rak Pang Mak (Chiang Khan Story).
• Director: Yuthlert Sippapak, Chiang Khan Story
• Screenplay: Yuthlert Sippapak, Chiang Khan Love Story
• Actor: Jirayu La-ongmanee, Chiang Khan Story
• Actress: Sucha Manaying, The Couple (รัก ลวง หลอน, Rak Luang Lon)
• Supporting actor: Kongkiat Komesiri,  Chiang Khan Story
• Supporting actress: Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Concrete Clouds
• Cinematography: Narupon Chokkanapitak, The Teacher’s Diary
• Film editing: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, The Master
• Original song: “Jaikhwam Samkhan” by the Musketeer, from Rak Mod Kaew (รักหมดแก้ว, a.k.a. Love on the Rock)
• Original score: By the River
• Art direction: Akradej Kaewkote, The Teacher’s Diary
• Best documentary: The Master
• Young Filmmaker Award: Uten Sririvi, Jinnaphat Ladarat, Phoobao Thai Baan: E-San Indy
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Somsak Techaratanaprasert, producer, and Amara Asavanond, actress
• Box Office Award: I Fine ... Thank You ... Love You

Golden Swans drop Concrete Clouds back in Bangkok cinemas

While some Hollywood films experience an "Oscar bump" in box-office takings following the Academy Awards, the producers behind the award-winning Concrete Clouds are hoping for a similar boost with a limited re-release in Bangkok cinemas.

Following last Sunday's big win of three Golden Swan trophies at the 24th Subhanahongsa Awards, Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak), is screening at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. Shows will be at around 5:50pm nightly.

Post by Concrete Clouds.

Winner of best film and best director at the Thai movie industry's version of the Oscars, Concrete Clouds stars Ananda Everingham, Janesuda Parnto, Prawith Hansten and best-supporting-actress winner Apinya Sakuljaroensuk in a story set in 1997 Bangkok, during the Asian financial meltdown. Ananda is a New York currency trader who returns to Thailand after the suicide of his father. While trying to put affairs in order for his estranged younger brother, he attempts to reconnect with an old flame.

In development since around 2010, Concrete Clouds is the long-awaited directorial debut of Lee Chatametikool, a film editor who came up during the late '90s Thai New Wave, and has been instrumental in shaping award-winning Thai indie films of the era, most notably the features of Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Mundane History by Apinya Sakuljaroensuk. Those two returned the favor by producing Concrete Clouds alongside Soros Sukhum and Hong Kong luminary Yonfan.

Put together with support that included Busan's Asian Cinema Fund, Visions Sud Est and Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund, Concrete Clouds premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2013 and the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2014.

Distribution deals include one for the U.K. and Ireland with Day for Night. In North America, it screened at last May's L.A. Asian Pacific Film Fest, and it's hinted that perhaps a series of campus screenings might be organized, so keep your eye out for that.

In case you missed it, the subtitled trailer is embedded below.

Concrete Clouds flies high at Subhanahongsa Awards

Producer Soros Sukhum accepts the Best Film award for Concrete Clouds, alongside Lee Chatametikool. Cast and crew, including producers Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Yonfan and Anocha Suwichakornpong are also present. Courtesy of FNFAT.

Despite the best efforts of the nominating body to steer voters toward more-commercial fare, the indie drama Concrete Clouds was the big winner at the 24th Subhanahongsa Awards, the Thai film industry's version of the Oscars.

Coming from a field dominated by mainstream studio entries,  Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak), the feature debut by veteran indie film editor Lee Chatametikool was named Best Film, and it also took the Golden Swan trophy for best director.

The glitzy black-tie-optional ceremony was held on Sunday night at the Thailand Cultural Center in Bangkok.

The Best Film award was accepted by veteran indie Thai producer Soros Sukhum, alongside Lee. They were joined onstage by other cast and crew and the co-producers, indie Thai directors Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Anocha Suwichakornpong, who have worked closely with Lee in the past, and Hong Kong producer Yonfan.

Long in the works, Concrete Clouds is the story of a Thai currency trader who is forced to return from New York to Bangkok after the suicide of his father during the 1997 financial crisis. While dealing with his estranged younger brother, the trader seeks to rekindle romance with an old flame.

Going into the awards, Concrete Clouds had nine nominations, including screenplay and all four actor categories for the cast of Ananda Everingham, Janesuda Parnto, Apinya Sakuljaroensuk and Prawith Hansten. Prolific young starlet Apinya rounded out the trophy count for Clouds, winning best supporting actress for her performance as a lonely neighbor girl who has a fling with the younger brother.

Two from Concrete Clouds – best supporting actress winner Apinya Sakuljaroensuk and the best director winner Lee. Winning best actor Jirayu La-ongmanee from Chiang Khan Story poses for photos in the background. Courtesy of FNFAT

The remaining acting prizes were spread among a trio of other mainstream-industry films – Jarinporn Joonkiat as best actress for her disarming turn as a stubborn young woman in Nonzee Nimibutr's romantic drama Timeline Jodmai Khwam Songjam (Timeline จดหมาย-ความทรงจำ); former child star Jirayu La-ongmanee as best actor for his performance as a lovelorn young filmmaker in Yuthlert Sippapak's Chiang Khan Story (Tukkae Rak Pang Mak, ตุ๊กแกรักแป้งมาก); and screen veteran Pongpat Wachirabanjong as best supporting actor in the new stage-leaning adaptation of a famous Thai novel that had been made into a film before, Plae Kao (The Scar).

The leading Subhanahongsa nominee was the GTH studio's romantic drama, director Nithiwat Tharatorn's The Teacher's Diary (คิดถึงวิทยา, Kid Tueng Wittaya). With 13 nods in all, it won the most prizes, grabbing up six Golden Swan trophies, including screenplay, cinematography, editing and music.

And a new category this year sought to reflect the trendiness of documentaries screening in cinemas. Three were nominated – By the River, Nontawat Numbenchapol's examination of a Karen village hit by an environmental disaster; Somboon, Krisada Tipchaimeta's heartfelt look at an elderly man's efforts to care for his chronically ailing wife; and The Master by Nawapol Thamrongratanarit.

And, not surprisingly, the award went to The Master, which reflects on the film industry with an entertaining line-up of Thai film figures and critics who recalled their early cinematic education in the form of bootleg videos purchased from the infamous Chatuchak Market pirate vendor Mr. Van.

The lifetime achievement award was also handed out. This year it went to action star Sombat Methanee, who at one time or another claimed a world record for most filmed appearances. Getting his start in 1960s, he rose to be the Thai film industry's top leading man after the death of Mitr Chaibancha in 1970. Among his hundreds of films was the 1965 romantic comedy Sugar Is Not Sweet by Ratt Pestonji, the 1966 version of the historical battle epic Bang Rajan, the gritty 1970 action thriller Choompae and the 2000 Thai western Tears of the Black Tiger.

This was the second year for a new voting process instituted by the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand, which aims to make the Subhanahongsas more like the Academy Awards, in which members of the industry cast votes for films depending on their areas of expertise. Previous years had relied on a jury of critics and old industry hands nominating and selecting the winners. However, the niggling problem remains of not all Federation members actually getting out to see the films. There's more about that in a story today in The Nation.

Best documentary winner Nawapol Thamrongratanarit (The Master) and best actress winner Jarinporn Joonkiat from Timeline. Courtesy of FNFAT

• Best Film – Concrete Clouds
• Director – Lee Chatametikool, Concrete Clouds
• Screenplay: Nithiwat Tharatorn, Thosaphol Thiptinnakorn, Suppalerk Ningsanon, Sophana Chaowiwatkool, The Teacher’s Diary
• Actor – Jirayu La-ongmanee, Chiang Khan Story
• Actress – Jarinporn Joonkiat, Timeline Jodmai Khwam Songjum
• Supporting actor – Pongpat Wachirabanjong, Plae Kao
• Supporting actress – Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Concrete Clouds
• Cinematography – Narupon Chokkanapitak, The Teacher’s Diary
• Film editing – Thammarat Sumethsupachok, Pongsakorn Chanchalermchai, The Teacher’s Diary
• Original song – "Mai Tang Kan" by 25 Hours, The Teacher’s Diary
• Recording and sound mixing: Richard Hocks, The Couple (รัก ลวง หลอน, Rak Luang Lon)
• Original score – Hualampong Riddim, The Teacher’s Diary
• Art direction – Akradej Kaewkote, The Teacher’s Diary
• Costume design – Athit Thriakittiwat, Plae Kao
• Makeup – Sirirat Jamfa, Hong Hoon (ห้องหุ่น, a.k.a. Crack My Skin)
• Visual effects – The Post Bangkok, Sming
• Documentary – The Master, Nawapol Thamrongratanarit

Lav Diaz, The Raid 2 among Asian Film Awards nominees

Demonstrating that it helps if you kick ass, Filipino auteur Lav Diaz and the Indonesian martial-arts film The Raid 2: Berandal will represent Southeast Asia at the ninth Asian Film Awards, which have once again not included any Thai films among its nominees.

Indie-cult helmer Diaz is among the best director nominees for his latest opus, From What Is Before (Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon), which examines the profound social tattering of a village under martial law during the Marcos regime. The four-hour drama premiered in competition at last year's Locarno fest, where it won the top-prize Golden Leopard.

And the impressionist action film The Raid 2: Berandal is nominated twice, best cinematography for Matt Flannery and Dimas Imam Subhono and best editing for Gareth Evans (who also directed and made it snow in Jakarta). One-upping 2011's The Raid at every turn, in terms of scope, fight scenes, stunts and characters, The Raid 2 follows a young butt-kicking police officer (no-nonsense leading man Iko Uwais) as he takes an undercover assignment as a prison inmate. His job is to infiltrate an underworld mob that has tentacles reaching all the way to the top of the police force.

Announced yesterday, the leading nominee for the ninth Asian Film Awards is Hong Kong director Ann Hui's The Golden Era, including best director and best actress for Tang Wei.

Other best director nominees are China's Lou Ye for Blind Massage, Japan's Shinya Tsukamoto for Fires on the Plain, India's Vishal Bhardwaj for Haider and South Korea's Hong Sang-soo for Hill of Freedom.

And the Best Film nominees are China's Black Coal, Thin Ice and Blind Massage, South Korea's Hill of Freedom and Ode to My Father, Japan's The Light Shine Only There and India's Haider. Variety and Film Business Asia break it down.

As with past editions of the Asian Film Awards, most of the nominees hail from China, followed by Hong Kong/Mainland co-productions, then South Korea, Japan and India.

Thailand has been shut out of the past couple editions of the Asian Film Awards, last appearing in 2012, when the Rashomon remake U Mong Pa Mueang and Pen-ek Ratanaruang's hitman drama Headshot were up for prizes. Thai composer Chatchai Pongpraphan came away a winner for his work on the Donnie Yen martial-arts drama Wu Xia.

Another good year was 2010, when Lee Chatametikool won best editing on the Malaysian indie Karaoke, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Cannes-winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was named Best Film in 2011.

But looking at the nominees this year, I can start to see a pattern of sorts. Thailand had some well-regarded commercial hits last year, such as the GTH romances The Teacher's Diary and the blockbuster I Fine ... Thank You ... Love You or Yuthlert Sippapak's Tukkae Rak Pang Mak, but I can't quite see those going into a dark Macau alley with Lav Diaz or the boys from The Raid 2, or even the Chinese entries Black Coal, Thin Ice or Blind Massage. They'd get clobbered.

Best chance for Thailand at the Asian Film Awards might have been with past-winner Lee's feature directorial debut Concrete Clouds, which had many strong points, especially its cast. The scrappy indie student film W. might have fit in there somewhere as well, especially for editing. Another possibility might have been Uruphong Raksasad's award-winning documentary The Songs of Rice, which could have been a contender in the editing and cinematography categories. But, being a documentary, it's off the radar for the awards. Perhaps it's time to add a documentary category, hmm?

The Asian Film Awards are set for March 25 in Macau.

Teacher's Diary is top Subhanahongsa nominee

Nominees for the 24th Subhanahongsa Awards have filtered out.

The top nominee is The Teacher’s Diary (คิดถึงวิทยา, Kid Tueng Wittaya), the hit GTH romantic drama. With 13 nods in all, it's up for Best Picture and screenplay, as well as actor and actress.

Other Best Picture nominees are GTH's blockbuster comedy I Fine Thank You Love You, Lee Chatametikool's indie romance Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak), Yuthlert Sippapak's comeback Chiang Khan Story (Tukkae Rak Pang Mak, ตุ๊กแกรักแป้งมาก) and Plae Kao, a new adaptation of a Thai literary classic.

Reflecting the indie Thai trend in documentaries, a new category has been added. It has three nominees, Somboon by Krisada Tipchaimeta, By the River (สายน้ำติดเชื้อ, Sai Nam Tid Shoer) by Nontawat Numbenchapol and The Master by Nawapol Thamrongratanarit.

Voting for the winners is under a new complicated new process instituted last year. The Nation has more on that.

BEST PICTURE

• Kid Tueng Wittaya (The Teacher’s Diary)
• I Fine Thank You Love You
• Phawang Rak (Concrete Clouds)
• Plae Kao (The Scar)
• Tukkae Rak Pang Mak (Chiang Khan Story).

DIRECTOR

• Yuthlert Sippapak, Chiang Khan Story
• ML Bandevanop Devakula, The Scar
• Lee Chatametikool, Concrete Clouds
• Mez Tharatorn, I Fine Thank You Love You

SCREENPLAY

• Nithiwat Tharatorn, Thosaphol Thiptinnakorn, Suppalerk Ningsanon, Sophana Chaowiwatkool, The Teacher’s Diary
• Yuthlert Sippapak, Chiang Khan Love Story
• Lee Chatametikool, Concrete Clouds
• Boongsong Nakphoo, Wangphikul (Village of Hope)
• Mez Tharatorn, Chaiyaphruek Chalermpornpanich, Benjamaporn Sa-bua, I Fine Thank You Love You

ACTOR

• Sukrit Wisetkaew, The Teacher’s Diary
• Jirayu La-ongmanee, Chiang Khan Story
• Sunny Suwanmethanon, I Fine Thank You Love You
• Chaiyapol Julien Poupart, Plae Kao
• Ananda Everingham, Concrete Clouds

ACTRESS

• Preechaya Pongthananikorn, I Fine Thank You Love You
• Davika Hoorne, Plae Kao
• Jarinporn Joonkiat, Jodmai Khwam Songjum (Timeline)
• Chermarn Boonyasak, The Teacher’s Diary
• Janesuda Parnto, Concrete Clouds

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Nopachai Jayanama, Timeline
• Natpat Nimjirawat, Chiang Khan Story
• Pongpat Wachirabanjong, Plae Kao
• Prawith Hansten, Concrete Clouds
• Popetorn Sunthornyanakij, I Fine Thank You Love You

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Concrete Clouds
• Piyathida Worramusik, Timeline
• Chanikarn Tangabodi, Chiang Khan Story
• Sinjai Plengpanich, Plae Kao
• Marsha Wattanapanich, Rak Mod Kaew (Love on the Rock)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Narupon Chokkanapitak, The Teacher’s Diary
• Somkid Phukpong, Chiang Khan Story
• Panom Promchat, Plae Kao
• Jarin Pengpanich, Concrete Clouds
• Pramate Charnkrasae, Hong Hoon

FILM EDITING

• Thammarat Sumethsupachok, Pongsakorn Chanchalermchai, The Teacher’s Diary
• Chonlasit Upanigkit, W
• Thawat Siripong, Chiang Khan Story
• Lee Chatametikool, Kamontorn Ekwatanakij, Concrete Clouds
• Thammarat Sumethsupachok,  Thanasak Yanajan, I Fine Thank You Love You

ORIGINAL SONG

• Mai Tang Kan by 25 Hours, The Teacher’s Diary
• Yak Hak by Koo Kaen Band, Phoobao Thai Baan: E-San Indy
• Jaikhwam Samkhan by Musketeer, Love on the Rock
• Golden Shower Bloom by Karen musicians of Klity village, By the River
• Walk You Home from I Fine Thank You Love You

SOUND MIXING

• Kantana Sound Studio, The Teacher’s Diary
• Richard Hocks, Rak Luang Lorn (The Couple)
• Kantana Sound Lab, Timeline
• Kantana Sound Studio, Plae Kao
• Kantana Sound Studio, The Swimmers

ORIGINAL SCORE

• Chatchai Pongprapapan, Timeline
• Hualampong Riddim, The Teacher’s Diary
• Origin Company, Chiang Khan Story
• Piti Kayoonpahn, The Scar
• Hualampong Riddim, I Fine Thank You Love You

ART DIRECTION

• Akradej Kaewkote, The Teacher’s Diary
• Patrick Meesaiyati, Plae Kao
• Khacha Ruanthong, Chiang Khan Love Story
• Ekkarat Homla-or, Concrete Clouds
• Siranat Ratchusanti, Hong Hoon

COSTUME DESIGN

• Suthee Muanwaja, The Teacher’s DIary 
• Siriwan Karnchoochor, Chiang Khan Love Story
• Suthee Muanwaja, I Fine Thank You Love You
• Athit Thriakittiwat, Plae Kao
• Cattleya Paosrijaroen, Concrete Clouds

MAKEUP

• Pichet Wongjansom, The Swimmers
• Panparit Suvanaprakorn, Kyu Kittichon Kunratchol (QFX Work Shop), The Eyes Diary
• Montri Watlaiad, Plae Kao
• Sirirat Jamfa, Hong Hoon

VISUAL EFFECTS

• Exhabition, The Swimmers
• The Post Bangkok, Sming
• The Renegade V Effect, Hong Hoon
• Oriental Post,  The Teacher’s Diary
• Nonzee Nimibutr, Timeline

DOCUMENTARY

• The Master
• Somboon
• By the River

The awards ceremony is set for March 1 at the Thailand Cultural Center, where veteran action star Sombat Metanee will be honored with the Lifetime Achievment Award.

Top 10 Thai films of 2014

As the military strongmen took over and began to map out the country’s future, independent Thai filmmakers soldiered on in 2014 with more of their unique stories, told in a string of documentaries and dramas. And the mainstream film studios offered their own distractions, with a handful of gems among the usual crop of cross-dressing comedies, horror and weepy melodramas. Here are the 10 Thai films I most enjoyed over the past year.

The Songs of Rice (เพลงของข้าว, Pleng Kong Kao)

What’s it about? The colorfully festive rites that accompany rice cultivation across the length and breadth of Thailand are surveyed in this documentary that screened on the festival circuit last year. I saw it twice, and it blew me away both times. In Thailand, it comes to SF cinemas on January 22.

Who directed it? Uruphong Raksasad, completing his trilogy of rural films that began in 2006 with The Songs of the North and was followed by Agrarian Utopia in 2011.

Why’s it good? A genius lensman, Uruphong continues to demonstrate his knack for astonishing viewers with amazing photography. His eye-popping images are coupled with expert editing and sound design, so the blasts of those rockets in Yasothon or the thwacks of a whip on a racing buffalo in Chon Buri are all the more vivid.

Village of Hope (วังพิกุล, Wangphikul)

What’s it about? A young man on leave from the military returns to his poor farming village and feels uneasy as he gets reacquainted with his elderly relatives and the slow pace of life.

Who directed it? Boonsong Nakphoo, an indie director who specialises in hardscrabble stories, filmed with members of his own family around his hometown of Wangphikul in Sukhothai province. Village of Hope is a sequel to his 2011 effort Poor People the Great.

Why's it good? Somboon’s films are unpretentious and compelling portraits of folks who have been surpassed by society and are out of step with the increasingly urbanized, digitized, plastic-coated modern Thailand.

Concrete Clouds (ภวังค์รัก, Phawang Rak)

What’s it about? During the 1997 financial crisis, a New York currency trader (played by Ananda Everingham) returns home to Bangkok to settle affairs after the suicide of his father. While trying to bond with his younger brother (newcomer Prawith Hansten), he also seeks to rekindle romance with an ex-girlfriend (Jansuda Parnto), a former actress having mixed success as a businesswoman. And the brother strikes up a relationship with a lonely neighbor girl (Apinya Sakuljaroensuk).

Who directed it? Lee Chatametikool, making his long-awaited feature directorial debut after having helped shape Thai indie cinema as an influential film editor for the likes of Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Anocha Suwichakornpong.

Why's it good? A fantastic cast, eye-popping visuals and cool ’90s music lift Concrete Clouds, which captures the anxiety of the era with karaoke-video vignettes – super-saturated dreamy asides to the bittersweet twin romances of the screenplay.

Vengeance of the Assassin (เร็วทะลุเร็ว, Rew Talu Rew)

What’s it about? A young man (Chupong Changprung) becomes an assassin while looking for answers about the death of his parents. As he gets closer to the truth, his brother (Nathawut Boonrubsub) joins in to help.

Who directed it? Action maestro Panna Rittikrai, who died last July at age 53 of liver disease. Aside from his string of gritty action films like Born to Fight and Dynamite Warrior, Panna was best known as mentor and martial-arts choreographer to Ong-Bak and Tom-Yum-Goong star Tony Jaa, who last year broke from studio Sahamongkol to strike out on his own in Hollywood with Fast and Furious 7 and in Hong Kong on SPL2.

Why's it good? The first two minutes alone are worth seeking this out. Panna pulls out all his bone-crunching stops as he has his fighters playing combat football in a burning warehouse next to a lake of gasoline.

The Swimmers (ฝากไว้..ในกายเธอ, Fak Wai Nai Guy Ther)

What’s it about? Speedo-clad high-school swimming champions Perth and Tan come into conflict over a girl, who fell to her death from a diving platform into a drained pool.

Who directed it? Sophon Sakdapisit, GTH studio’s resident scare specialist. He previously did the 2011 psycho-thriller “Laddaland” and 2008’s “Coming Soon” and had a hand in writing the hit horrors “Shutter” and “Alone”.

Why's it good? The slickly produced flick keeps viewers off kilter with a taut psychological drama that has the added horror of having a message about teen sex.

W.

What’s it about? A brainy college freshman is thrown into the deep end of campus life when she is assigned to the faculty that was her last choice – sports – where her only friend is a slacker classmate who hopes to copy from her test papers.

Who directed it? Chonlasit Upanigkit, who made W. as his undergraduate thesis film at Silpakorn University. He had previously served as film editor on director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s indie hits Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy and 36. A jaw-dropping three hours when he turned the film in, W. was shepherded by veteran indie filmmaker Aditya Assarat, who became a producer and guided it through an editing process that trimmed an hour off. It became bankable enough to enter the Busan film fest and secure a limited run at Bangkok’s House cinema.

Why's it good? With a burbling electronica soundtrack, moody natural lighting and overall dreaminess, W. fits solidly in the realm of “contemplative cinema” or “shoegaze”, sort of like Drive, though instead of Ryan Gosling staring blankly in silence over his steering wheel, you have college girls nattering as they double up on a bicycle for a ride across campus.

The Teacher’s Diary (คิดถึงวิทยา, Kid Tueng Wittaya)

What’s it about? A man and a woman, teachers at the same rural schoolhouse, but a year apart, fall in love over their writings in a shared diary.

Who directed it? Nithiwat Tharatorn, one of six directors of 2003’s Fan Chan, the film that built the highly successful GTH studio. He went on to direct the hit romantic dramas Season’s Change and Dear Galileo.

Why's it good? Toeing a fine line between sweetness and mawkishness, the sentimental romance mostly sticks to that line thanks to a fairly tight script, top-notch technical work, a memorable location and, of course, appealing performances by two fine lead actors, Sukrit “Bie” Wisetkaew as an ex-jock teacher whose enthusiasm makes up for his lack of brains, and Chermarn “Ploy” Boonyasak as a bright schoolteacher whose rebellious streak lands her in the rural post.

Fin Sugoi (ฟินสุโค่ย)

What’s it about? A young woman’s boyfriend becomes jealous after she gets to be in the music video of the Japanese rock star she’s been obsessed with all her life.

Who directed it? Tanwarin Sukkhapisit followed up the critically acclaimed transgender drama It Gets Better with two well-made, solidly commercial entries this year. In addition to Fin Sugoi, Tanwarin made Threesome, an entertaining romantic comedy about a woman who breaks up with her boyfriend and starts dating a ghost.

Why's it good? A surprisingly provocative script and a fun premise gives Fin Sugoi the edge over Threesome as well as the overly formulaic GTH blockbuster rom-com I Fine … Thank You … Love You. But the highlight of Fin Sugoi was the bravura performance by Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, whose portrayal of an obsessed fan was quite a departure from the usual quiet dramatic roles she lands in indie films like Concrete Clouds. She also was in a third film last year, the lesbian marriage drama 1448: Love Among Us.

Somboon (ปู่สมบรูณ์, Poo Somboon)

What’s it about? The documentary follows an elderly man as he cares for the overwhelming medical needs of his chronically ailing wife of 45 years.

Who directed it? Krisda Tipchaimeta, making his feature debut.

Why's it good? Documentaries were huge in 2014. Veteran writer-director Kongdej Jaturanrasmee turned in his first doc, So Be It, a portrait of two boys and Buddhism; and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit did The Master, in which Kongdej and other film folk share memories about Van VDO, the infamous pirate-movie dealer. But the bittersweet Somboon, about a stand-up guy who doesn’t shirk his responsibilities, felt the most pure and poignant.

The Last Executioner (เพชฌฆาต, Petchakat)

What’s it about? The biographical drama spotlights Chavoret Jaruboon, the executioner at Bangkwang Prison, the “Bangkok Hilton”. He was the last to dispatch death-row inmates with a rifle before the switch to lethal injection.

Who directed it? Tom Waller, a Thai-Irish filmmaker who has for many years run a company that provides services to foreign movie productions. He broke into making his own indie arthouse films with 2011’s Mindfulness and Murder.

Why's it good? Chavoret struggled to reconcile his lethal duty with his Buddhist spirituality, and whether his killing in the name of justice was good or bad. Giving weight to that conflict is another excellent performance by Vithaya Pansringarm from Mindfulness and Murder and Only God Forgives, and a fine supporting cast that includes Penpak Sirikul as Chavoret’s wife and David Asavanond (Countdown) as a shadowy spirit figure. The backdrop, the inner-workings of Thailand’s prison system, is also interesting. Unfortunately, Thai audiences didn’t find the film’s morbid subject matter compelling, and The Last Executioner was largely gone from cinemas after just one week.

(Cross-published in The Nation)