Classic films and shorts at Fringe Festival No. 9

Bangkok's annual Fringe Festival is so far on the fringes this year it's not even in Bangkok.

Patravadi Theater's showcase of contemporary and traditional arts this year is being held in Ratchaburi, about two hours outside the capital.

It's being held in an old market town called Chet Samian. It has a railway station, and it's on the banks of the Mae Klong River.

Fringe Festival No. 9 got under way over the weekend, but the film portion of the program, put together by the Thai Film Foundation, starts next weekend, January 30 to February 1. Remaining programs will be on February 20-22 and February 27 to March 1. The programs start at around 5pm.

The lineup is a mix of classics from the 1950s and '60s, including most of Ratana Pestonji's features, plus recent independent short films, shown in an old-timey, open-air screening.

Here's the film lineup:

Friday, January 30

• True Nature -- A short film by Thawatpong Tangsajjapoj (6 min.)
• Paradise Island (Koh Sawad Had Sawan) -- Sombat Metanee and Aranya Namwong star in this musical love story set on Koh Samui. Directed by Prince AnusornmongkolganIt, it was made in 1969, long before the island had been paved over by developers. Sombat plays the playboy son of one family, while Aranya is the business-minded daughter of a rival family. They make a bet on who can make their family's coconut plantation more successful. If the guy wins, the girl must marry him. If he loses, he has to give his business to her.

Saturday, January 31

• Nongharn -- Directed by Panus Boonnun (14 min.)
• Parallel Journey -- Directed by Jakrawal Nilthamrong (8 min.)
• Blind -- Directed by Kanjana Akasin (30 min.)
• Run -- Directed by Watthanadech Ketsuan (15 min.)
• A Day in a Posit+ive Life -- Directed by Volunteers of AIDS Access, Chiang Rai (17 min.)

Sunday, February 1

• Country Hotel -- This Ratana Pestonji's insane cavalcade of comedy, music and film-noir drama from 1957.

Friday, February 20

• Finale Fantasie -- Directed by Teerapon Panyayuttakarn (31 min.)
• The Laundry Room -- Directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya (9 min.)
• Our Monument -- Directed by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng ( 10 min.)
• Love…Time -- Directed by Knidtha Khuwyou (28 min.)
• I Wanna Be A Red Fish -- Directed by Boonsri Tangtrongsin (11 min.)
  

Saturday, February 21

• Memoir of the old Bangkok -- A short films collection by National Artist filmmaker Thae Prakas-vudhisarn (22 min.)
• Black Silk (Prae Dum) -- Ratana Pestonji's 1961 classic is regarded as Thailand's first film noir. It was also one of the earliest Thai films to play overseas. It was selected for the Berlin Film Festival.

Sunday, February 22

• Forever Yours -- This 1955 tragic love story by Tawee Na Bangchang (with Ratana Pestonji as cinematographer) is iconic for its image of a young couple chained together after they are caught having an affair by the woman's husband.

Friday, February 27

• The Invisible City -- Directed by Boonsri Tangtrongsin (12 min.)
• Tadpole -- Directed by Pittaya Jankotr, Sumantana Jenjitman and Pannapa Saewong (15 min.)
• You Never Know -- Directed by Parinya Pornsuksawadd (20 min.)
• Shan at the Dawn -- Directed by Nattachai Jaitita (30 min.)
• I’m Fine Sa-bai-dee-kah -- Directed by Tanwarin Sukkhapisit (4 min.)

Saturday, February 28

• Home Video -- Directed by Yanin Pongsuwan (14 min.)
• Sugar Is Not Sweet (Nam Tan Mai Wan) -- Ratana Pestonji's last feature film, made in 1965, was envisioned by him as his most commercial film yet. Gobsmackingly colorful, it's about a star-crossed romance.

Sunday, March 1

• Dark Heaven -- Ratana Pestonji's second feature, made in 1958, is an adaptation of a stage drama about a young homeless woman falling in love with a trash collector (Chalee Intharawijit). He's then drafted to fight in a war, and the woman is taken in by a rich lady. He returns from the fighting, blinded by an explosion, leaving the young woman conflicted.

By the way, Country Hotel, Dark Heaven and Forever Yours have been available on DVD from the Thai Film Foundation for quite sometime now.

Update: And in celebration of the Pestonji centennial, the remaining two surviving features in his filmography -- Black Silk and Sugar Is Not Sweet -- are available on DVD from the Foundation. (Any other Firefox users having problems accessing that page?)

Also, the Dance and Theatre blog at The Nation has more on the festival's offerings.

(Cross-published at The Nation Weblog)

Sorapong Chatree named National Artist

Veteran actor Sorapong Chatree is among the seven honorees being given the title of National Artist of Thailand for 2008.

The others honored for performing arts are singer and musician MR Thanadsri Sawadiwat, Prasit Pinkaew and Rear Admiral Viraphan Voklang. Ithipol Thang-chalok was named National Artist in fine arts while Adul Jantrasak was named for literature.

According to a recent Daily Xpress article, they'll be awarded the honor on February 21 in a gala ceremony to open an exhibition at the Thailand Cultural Center.

For the 58-year-old Sorapong, these past couple years have been busy, with high-profile, meaty roles in major films. He plays an mentoring monk in King Naresuan, a hermit sorcerer with a split personality in Queens of Langkasuka and a father-figure king of thieves in Ong-Bak 2.

Sorapong got his start acting in MC Chatrichalerm Yukol's Out of the Darkness in 1971 and he remained an in-demand leading man well into the 1990s. His other roles have included Cherd Songsri's Plae Kao (The Scar) and Peun Pang, as well as Sompote Sands' Krai-Tong and dozens upon dozens of other films.

Blue Sky of Love so bad it's 'almost a crime'

I've not seen the comedy-romance Blue Sky of Love (Fah Sai Huajai Chuenbaab). The trailer gave me a bad enough headache, that I don't think I have the stamina to sit through the entire film. And though I've learned that Thai films cannot necessarily be judged on the strength or weakness of their trailers, I fear that going to watch Blue Sky of Love would make my head implode. And I just don't need that kind of pain right now.

The movie takes place after the deadly October 6, 1976 crackdown on demonstrations led by democracy activists at Thammasat University, and follows a group of students into the forest, where they join up with a comical band of communist rebels.

Fortunately for the rest of us, Kong Rithdee has actually gone to see this movie, and he had a review in Friday's Bangkok Post. Here's a bit (cache):

The incident of Oct 6 remains a wound that is felt even by those who weren't there at the time; it is especially felt in the current climate when the country is divided by hatred and imagined differences, like it was 33 years ago. To have a movie like this is like a mockery of tragic history. It could even be interpreted as an insult.

I had a bad feeling when I saw the film's poster, but I decided to see it to give it a fair chance. And I decided to write about it on this page to officially register the existence of its foolishness.

It says a lot about our film industry that a film like Blue Sky of Love has been granted a wide release when many other projects -- actually, most student films are more worthwhile than this -- struggle to get made or to get into the cinema. Most of all, the existence of this film says a lot about our flawed education on the subject of history. When the dust has never been cleared (so, how many deaths really occurred on that day?), when the truth remains obscure, the young generation will never understand the real burden of history, and we can hardly obtain a moral reason from it. Blue Sky of Love is a product of ignorance. In a time like this, it is almost a crime.

Read the whole thing.

A sensitive, strong and dramatic film that depicts that turbulent period in Thailand's history would probably be a worthy endeavor. And something with even a bit of comedy and satire -- if tastefully and smartly done -- would be welcome. But Blue Sky of Love ain't it by a long shot.

Wisit's haunted house in Rotterdam

Embedded above is a short clip of the haunted house Wisit Sasanatieng created at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

It was scarier the second time I watched.

(Via ThaiIndie's YouTube Channel)

Mr. Bean, Stephen Chow to bring tourists back to Thailand

Reeling from the global financial crisis and the political protests that shut down Thailand's airports last year, the Thai government is working on ways to burnish the Kingdom's image and get tourists flocking back.

According to a story in The Nation yesterday, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has promised an additional 100 million baht to the Tourism Authority of Thailand to finance overseas marketing.

TAT chairman Weerasak Kowsurat says the money will be used in the first quarter.

Among the plans -- a comedy film festival, scheduled to be held in Bangkok in late April. From the story:

The TAT is working with partners to bring in world-famous comedy actors, including Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) and Hong Kong's Stephen Chow. The presence of such stars is expected to attract more visitors.

Sounds like business as usual for the TAT -- the main sponsor of the Bangkok International Film Festival, which has been tainted by a bribery scandal. The criticism of the festival has been that a lot of taxpayers' money was spent to fly in movie stars for red-carpet galas and create the illusion of Bangkok as some sort of Hollywood of Asia. But it did little to really bring in tourists.

The organizers of last year's Bangkok International Film Festival went a long way to dispel the criticisms by making films and programming the primary focus, and making sure there were Thai subtitles on every film. Sure, there was still red-carpet glamor and a few Hollywood stars -- it creates publicity for the festival, after all.

Hopefully the TAT will keep the criticism of the BKKIFF in mind as they organize their comedy film fest.

And actually, bringing in the googly-eyed, rubber-faced Mr. Bean is not such a bad idea -- the videos of his pantomime TV skits are popular entertainment at DVD booths in suburban Bangkok shopping malls. Even better is Stephen Chow, writer, director and star of Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, which are also pretty popular. Great choices for the locals -- but because the festival is being proposed as a tourism initiative to attract foreigners, will Thai people be invited to the party?

Update: The World Comedy Film Festival is set for June 10 to 16. Check the website.

BCI Eclipse, not quite dead, releases Hard Gun and more Thai action

Despite news last month that cult-film DVD purveyors BCI Eclipse would be closing, apparently some titles that were in the pipeline for release will still be issued.

Among the new DVDs is Hard Gun, a 1996 crime drama starring Panna Rittikrai and Tony Jaa. The DVD and the Blu-ray are available from HK Flix as well as Amazon (Blu-ray).

The Thai title is Mue Prab Puen Hode (literally, "the cop with [the] hard gun”). The TonyJaa.org forum has more details:

Tony Jaa plays Panna Rittikrai's right-hand man in this and they are both criminals looking to avenge the death of Panna's brother. The movie is pretty boring until the last 15 minutes when Jaa gets to show off his skills. Panna doesn't have a single fight scene, instead he runs around shooting guns all the time.

The disc offers an English dub or the original Thai soundtrack, with English subs. There's a clip of Tony Jaa working the staff at YouTube.

Also in the BCI Eclipse pipeline is a three-film Thai Action Pack set for release on January 27. It's available for order from HK Flix and Amazon. The set bundles Tony Jaa's Spirited Killer, the 1986 version of Born to Fight and another Panna crime drama, Thai Police Story.

Spirited Killer, first released by BCI Eclipse in 2006, is about a forest dweller who kills anyone who steps into his jungle. "Leading the pack to help stop this madman is Tony Jaa, making his film debut."

The Amazon page for the Thai Action Pack lists the synopsis for the 2003 version of Born to Fight starring Dan Chupong. Not at all a remake of the '86 version, it is a completely different film, with an entirely different story, and the rights for it were acquired by The Weinstein Company, which released it on the Dragon Dynasty label.

BCI Eclipse has the rights to the 1986 version of Born to Fight starring Panna Rittikrai, and first released it in 2007. So that's got to be what's in the Thai Action Pack. Panna plays a policeman hired to find a lawyer who is in trouble. Amazon reviewer Morgoth further comments:

The only reason to watch this movie is for the amazing stunts and full contact fights. Maybe Panna was just mad at these guys in real life, but he seriously beats them down hard in the movie. And look out for one of the craziest motorcycle stunts you will ever see."

Thai Police Story stars Panna "as a man caught between corrupt police officers and vicious drug gangs [and] features non-stop action and crazy stunts including a fight with Panna taking on four guys on top of a moving truck."

It was initially released last year in a twin-pack with the 1986 version of Born to Fight. The multiple issues and confusing litany of packaging is typical of BCI Eclipse. I can't find just Thai Police Story as a single disc, so if you really really want it, you'll have to either get the new three-pack or last year's two-pack.

Also, a couple of the Shaw Brothers' titles that BCI Eclipse acquired from Miramax are leaking out. There's Life Gamble with Alexander Fu Sheng and Opium and Kung Fu Master with Ti Lung.

Plans to shutter BCI Eclipse are still under way as the label's parent company, Navarre Corporation undergoes restructuring. Recently, Navarre laid off 50 employees including its chief operations officer. Among them are 20 workers in the Funimation anime division, according to Home Media Magazine.

(Via TonyJaa.org)

Jeeja among nominees for 3rd Asian Film Awards

Continuing with the Jeeja-related news, in a new category for the Asian Film Awards, the Chocolate star is nominated for "best newcomer".

She's the only Thai among the nominees announced yesterday for the third edition of the Hong Kong-based kudosfest, which is part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

The top nominee is the South Korean western The Good, the Bad, the Weird by Kim Jee-woon, which is up for seven awards: best film, best director, best actor (Song Kang-ho), best supporting actor (two nominees -- Jung Woo-sung and Lee Byung-hun), best cinematographer, best composer and best visual effects.

Other best film nominees are Chen Kaige's Forever Enthralled, Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo on the Cliff, John Woo's Red Cliff, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata and The Rainbow Troops by Indonesia's Riri Riza.

The Rainbow Troops (Laskar pelangi) also got a nod for best editing by Waluyo Ichwandiardono. Set on the Sumatran island of Belitong, the film chronicles the ups and downs of a close-knit group of schoolchildren in a small town. Released in October in Indonesia, the movie was a huge hit, according to the Jakarta Post (cache). It's among the early titles mentioned for the Panorama program at the Berlin Film Festival.

Best director nominees at the 3rd Asian Film Awards include Brillante Mendoza for Serbis, a gritty and sometimes erotic drama about a dysfunctional family that runs an X-rated cinema in Angeles City. Up for best supporting actress from Serbis are veteran actress Gina Pareno as the embattled grandmother and Jaclyn Jose as the strong-willed mother.

Best newcomer is a new category for the awards. In addition to Jeeja, other nominees are Shota Matsuda for Boys Over Flowers: The Movie, Sandrine Pinna for Miao Miao, So Ji-sub for Rough Cut, Xu Jiao for CJ7 and Yu Shaoqun for Forever Enthralled. The supporting actor and actress categories were added last year.

The Associated Press has the complete list of nominees, and Variety has a story as well. The awards ceremony is on March 23 in Hong Kong.

Update: Screen Daily has a story too (via Jason Gray).

(Via International Herald Tribune)