Hua Hin International Film Festival 2012

[buksida]

The National Federation of Thai Film Associations in conjunction with Hua Hin Municipality, Prachuap Khiri Khan province and The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)announced today a new premier film festival to be held in Thailand

The Hua Hin International Film Festival 2012 which will be held on 26-29th January, 2012 at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, Major Cineplex , Vic Hua Hin and Centennial Park.

In four days over 50 movies will represent both box office and festival hits from ASEAN, Asia, and Hollywood.

A program of industry seminars will focus on inter-ASEAN co-operation

An exhibition will honor the photographic talents of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej

A public event will bring the fun and excitement of the movies to all at Centennial Park.

In the announcement of HUA HIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2012 ( 21 December,2011) Mr.Suwat Liptapanlop, Festival Chairman presented the aims of the festival:

“Hua Hin is a great venue for the festival. Not only is it a popular seaside resort, but it has a great history, having established itself over 100 years ago. It has always been a favorite spot of the Royal Family, and the Klai Kangwon Palace remains a Royal residence to this day. Its film history stretches back to the very birth of the Thai film industry, when a Hollywood crew chose it as a location for the film ‘Miss Suwanna of Siam’.
“To recognize the importance of the town, The National Federation of Thai Film Associations has partnered with the Hua Hin Municipality and The Tourism Authority of Thailand to present The Hua Hin International Film Festival 2012 from 26-29th January, 2012.
The festival will also present an opportunity to welcome distinguished international guests, including many film directors and stars. A special event celebrating the contributions of Korean cinema will feature a number of famous Korean stars including the pop idol, Se7ven, Lee Da Hae from ‘My Girl’ and the stars of ‘Always’, So Ji Sub and Han Hyu Joo.
The charming seaside town of Hua Hin will offer all our guests a taste of true Thai hospitality.
“The Hua Hin International Film Festival will help to put ASEAN cinema on the world stage, and to present the many attractions of Thailand, and therefore assist the economic development of the Thai film industry. It will also attract tourists to the area. Thus the festival will benefit both industry and tourism.”

“The festival will have the support of the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort as the official festival venue, and the opening ceremony will capture the atmosphere of the seaside town, complete with replicas of the town’s monuments and attractions.
Over fifty films have been selected to represent those films that have captured the imagination of their respective countries as ‘Box Office Hits’, or as films which have brought the cultures of their homelands to the attention of the world through film festivals and awards. The Major Cineplex Hua Hin will be the host cinema.
“There are many interesting films, including Asian premieres such as ’360′ from the USA, films which have broken box office records such as ‘KL Gangster’ (Malaysia) and ‘Fool for Love’ (Vietnam), and award-winners such as “Ways of The Sea” (Philippines), as well as films such as ‘Warriors of the Rainbow’, the most expensive film ever produced in Taiwan, and the official Taiwanese selection for the Academy Awards committee.”.

“In celebration of the popularity of Korean cinema in Thailand, we present “Always” the Opening Film of the Busan International Film Festival 2011. We will also bring together films from across the ASEAN region.”
Dr. Sorajak Kasemsuvan, The Festival Director says that
“Apart from the films that will be screened at the festival, there will be seminars bringing together leading academics and film industry professionals. There will be a variety of interesting topics such as:

- ASEAN Movies for ASEAN Community by Dr. Surin Pitsuwan.
-Country Report by representatives of 9 countries from ASEAN presenting the current state of the film industry in their country.
-Can Government Help? – with invited representatives from the EU, CNC KOFIC France and South Korea, to provide advice and assistance from the perspective of public and government support and funding. There will also be a discussion of other means of fund-raising, the potential of joint ventures and co-productions, and the important issue of copyright protection.
- The DIY Movie workshop is open to the general public, and presents a two-day opportunity to learn from the skills of established directors such as Jim Sophon of “Laddaland “, Khom Kongkiat of “Chaiya”, and S. Khom Krit of “Friends”

“The festival will bring entertainment to all. Whether a Hua Hin resident, from other regions of Thailand, or visitors from other countries: all are welcome to join the festival atmosphere at Centennial Park, offering four evenings of activities between 5 and 11 pm. The activities include the screening of period films from top celebrities and all time classics starring such artists as Mitr Chaibansha, Petchara Chaovarat, Sombat Metanee, Aranya Namwong. Watch the live “talk show” series, or listen to bands presenting classic music from the 60s and 70s, such as THE BEATLES, ELVIS PRESLEY, BEE GEES, CLIFF RICHARD, TOM JONES etc.

“On the auspicious occasion of the 84th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, we are also proud to present an exhibition of His Majesty’s photographs at the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort. These photographs capture the town of Hua Hin during his frequent stays, celebrating not only his creativity, but also his many contributions to the people of Hua Hin and Thailand.

“The closing ceremony will present an Audience Award to those films chosen by the festival audiences. Members of the film industry will have an opportunity to congratulate the winners, and to thank all visiting filmmakers for their participation.

We aim to present not only the best of cinema, but the best of Hua Hin, and to bring a successful and memorable event to all our visitors.”

Source: LTN

[buksida]

The inaugural edition of the Hua Hin International Film Festival งานเทศกาลภาพยนตร์นานาชาติหัวหิน (26-29 Jan 2012) will get underway next month with the screening of South Korean melodrama Always 오직 그대만.

The festival will be located at the Intercontinental Hua Hin Resort and the Major Cineplex in the southern Thailand seaside town of Hua Hin and initially run for four days, though there are plans to expand and extend the event in future years.

http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/hua-hin-festival-announced

[JimmyGreaves]

Be nice to know which films have English subtitles as I would watch a few.

[buksida]

More info here: http://www.huahinfilmfest.com/en/index.php

[buksida]

Surprised there has been no interest in this, it has been a big event, anyway all over now:

Suu Kyi biopic wraps Hua Hin film
The first Hua Hin International Film Festival wrapped on Sunday evening with the screening of The Lady, Luc Besson's biopic of Aung San Suu Kyi starring Michelle Yeoh in the eponymous role.

Besson, his wife Virginie Silla, and Yeoh walked the red carpet of The Intercontinental to attend the closing ceremony, hosted by politician/businessman Suwat Liptapanlop.

The festival scored a big buzz last Friday when Ryan Gosling, who's been in Thailand to shoot a new film, attended the opening gala.

Nevertheless, the festival has come under criticism for its haphazard organisation, constant change of the screening schedules, and its obsession with glamour and photo-ops rather than with the films and the audience. At some screenings, there were only three or four people in the cinema.

Besson and Yeoh will attend the gala screening of The Lady tonight at Paragon Cineplex, Siam Paragon. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will also join the screening. The film opens in cinemas nationwide on Thursday.

Source: Bangkok Post

[dtaai-maai]

The festival scored a big buzz last Friday when Ryan Gosling, who's been in Thailand to shoot a new film, attended the opening gala.

Not so much a buzz as a hum: "Hmmmmmmmmmm, who's Ryan Gosling?"

[BaaBaa.]

The festival scored a big buzz last Friday when Ryan Gosling, who's been in Thailand to shoot a new film, attended the opening gala.

Not so much a buzz as a hum: "Hmmmmmmmmmm, who's Ryan Gosling?"

[PeteC]

who's Ryan Gosling?"

Doesn't he play for Newcastle? Pete

[buksida]

If the Red Carpet works, the film festival works. That seems to be the motto of the hype machine behind last weekend's Hua Hin International Film Festival, which proudly paraded stars down the sandy, horse-free beach of the InterContinental while the cinemas were haunted by ghosts. Nothing's wrong with using a movie festival to support tourism, as long as some attention is paid to what it's all about: film, and the film-going experience.

Actually, it's not a bad idea for Hua Hin to play host to a film festival. But just like the spectre of the scandal-strewn Bangkok International Film Festival, whose future remains uncertain, its mentality has to be heavily corrected. It's ostentatious that Hua Hin _ a privately sponsored event, according to the organiser _ wanted to copy Cannes as a cinefest of stars in low-cut dresses and beachfront enchantment. But the Federation of National Film Associations, who put on the event with the backup of Suwat Liptapanlop, who toured Cannes last May, only aped the most superficial dimension of the French festival. Cannes celebrates cinema, while the glamour is a show. Hua Hin insisted that glamour was the content.

The daily _ not to say hourly _ changes of the screening schedule drove viewers and critics mad. The publicity was not sufficient, and some screenings saw only three or four people in the room. The logistics were poor; some films were screened with preview DVDs, with the word "Preview" splashed across the screen (since the real copy of those films didn't arrive). A few films were cancelled altogether. At the screening of a Thai film Headshot, there were no English subtitles in the print, a gross offence for any movie festival that calls itself international.

Full Story: Bangkok Post