Phuket Film Festival Cancelled

[george]

Phuket Film Festival cancelled

PHUKET: -- Phuket Film Festival scheduled from June 4 to 11 will be cancelled.

The festival organiser sends press release to call off the festival on Wednesday. They fear that the tight security led to the government Asean Summit in Phuket might discourage filmmakers and film lovers to participate in the film event.

Despite the Asean summit being postponed to October, next month's Phuket Film Festival will still be cancelled.

-- The Nation 2009-05-13

[MisterMan]

Phuket Film Festival cancelled

PHUKET: -- Phuket Film Festival scheduled from June 4 to 11 will be cancelled.

The festival organiser sends press release to call off the festival on Wednesday. They fear that the tight security led to the government Asean Summit in Phuket might discourage filmmakers and film lovers to participate in the film event.

Despite the Asean summit being postponed to October, next month's Phuket Film Festival will still be cancelled.

-- The Nation 2009-05-13

Oh a bit premautre as now the ASEAN summit is off..

[AsiaMB]

Phuket Film Festival cancelled

PHUKET: -- Phuket Film Festival scheduled from June 4 to 11 will be cancelled.

The festival organiser sends press release to call off the festival on Wednesday. They fear that the tight security led to the government Asean Summit in Phuket might discourage filmmakers and film lovers to participate in the film event.

Despite the Asean summit being postponed to October, next month's Phuket Film Festival will still be cancelled.

-- The Nation 2009-05-13

Tight Security.... is that the same tight security they had at Pattaya...... sure.......

[HagenvonTronje]

from the organisers:

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Bangkok, Thailand: Organizers of the Phuket Film Festival shut down the Festival just two weeks from its June 4 – 11 run date.

"We sincerely apologize to our partners, our participating film makers and those on Phuket who were helping to make this international event happen," said Scott Rosenberg festival organizer. "But with creation of an armed state on Phuket for protection of the ASEAN meeting which will take place days after the Festival is to end, we found that the "sanook" (fun) we had promised folks, was gone from the Festival."

Festival organizers are also concerned about reports that foreigners on the island are booking vacations off the island during this period to avoid being inconvenienced by road blocks, traffic jams, etc. Also, police have been warning guest houses and hotels about bookings from Northern Thailand (afraid that dissident "red shirts" will travel to disrupt meeting).

"If people from Bangkok cannot travel down to catch our movies and events and foreigners who are our target audience on the island are fleeing during this time period - there goes our box-office take which helps subsidize the Festival," commented Mr. Rosenberg.

The Festival which was to play 30 award winning films from 13 different countries, was set to host over 30 film makers, producers and sales agents from around the world including Academy Award winning actor Adrien Brody ("The Pianist", "King Kong"), acclaimed director Gus Van Sant ("Milk", "Good Will Hunting"), and Directors Guild of America nominated director Darnell Martin ("Cadillac Records", "Their Eyes Were Watching God").

"We're saddened that this event which was growing in stature in the world of film festivals was not given the attention necessary by the Thai government to carry on in a manner which would have showcased the Phuket region as a prime location destination for filming," said Mr. Rosenberg.

"While the government has said that a curfew would not be put in place, the Army is reportedly sending an additional 5,000 troops to the island to secure a peaceful meeting. We just cannot take the chance," Mr. Rosenberg continued. "Filmmakers view the world in terms of images: we don't want them walking away from the Phuket Film Festival with memories of armed soldiers and tanks-no matter what the reason.

That is NOT how we want people to remember Amazing Thailand."

http://www.phuketfilmfestival.asia/

...........................................

in wise kwais journal, a blog on thai cinema, a little bit more about the developments in the previous days that leads to the final call off.

[CFIT]

After Pattaya, I cannot believe ASEAN is even considering having a meeting anywhere near Thailand.

Curious , Is Burma a member of the group ?

[JR Texas]

After Pattaya, I cannot believe ASEAN is even considering having a meeting anywhere near Thailand.

Curious , Is Burma a member of the group ?

Whew.........a lot of things/events are being CANCELLED. Has Thailand also been cancelled?

[yumidesign]

After Pattaya, I cannot believe ASEAN is even considering having a meeting anywhere near Thailand.

Curious , Is Burma a member of the group ?

Burma is a member of ASEAN as is Laos, which makes the organization a joke

[BigSnake]

Darn I would think all the security would be a big plus for the Festival. Hmmmmmm!! sounds like a Knee Jerk reaction.

[longtom]

Probably they had not enough visitors for the festival, so the summit's security was just a welcome excuse to cancel. But the timing looks a bit strange now.

[animatic]

Probably they had not enough visitors for the festival, so the summit's security was just a welcome excuse to cancel. But the timing looks a bit strange now.

Ditto.

No festival back on, even as Summit is cancelled within hours of Festival being cancelled.

No punters, no festival.

And too many festival goers will be flying in from parts unknown

and inadequately tested for illness. Then confined for days at a time

in air-conditioned spaces with hundreds of others with similar itineraries...

A scary scenario at the moment.

Edited May 14, 2009 by animatic

[hagler]

After Pattaya, I cannot believe ASEAN is even considering having a meeting anywhere near Thailand.

Curious , Is Burma a member of the group ?

Burma is a member of ASEAN as is Laos, which makes the organization a joke

why does having Myanmar and Laos as members make ASEAN a joke ? I dont understand your reasoning

[DaleBlue]

from the organisers:

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Bangkok, Thailand: Organizers of the Phuket Film Festival shut down the Festival just two weeks from its June 4 – 11 run date.

"We sincerely apologize to our partners, our participating film makers and those on Phuket who were helping to make this international event happen," said Scott Rosenberg festival organizer. "But with creation of an armed state on Phuket for protection of the ASEAN meeting which will take place days after the Festival is to end, we found that the "sanook" (fun) we had promised folks, was gone from the Festival."

Festival organizers are also concerned about reports that foreigners on the island are booking vacations off the island during this period to avoid being inconvenienced by road blocks, traffic jams, etc. Also, police have been warning guest houses and hotels about bookings from Northern Thailand (afraid that dissident "red shirts" will travel to disrupt meeting).

"If people from Bangkok cannot travel down to catch our movies and events and foreigners who are our target audience on the island are fleeing during this time period - there goes our box-office take which helps subsidize the Festival," commented Mr. Rosenberg.

The Festival which was to play 30 award winning films from 13 different countries, was set to host over 30 film makers, producers and sales agents from around the world including Academy Award winning actor Adrien Brody ("The Pianist", "King Kong"), acclaimed director Gus Van Sant ("Milk", "Good Will Hunting"), and Directors Guild of America nominated director Darnell Martin ("Cadillac Records", "Their Eyes Were Watching God").

"We're saddened that this event which was growing in stature in the world of film festivals was not given the attention necessary by the Thai government to carry on in a manner which would have showcased the Phuket region as a prime location destination for filming," said Mr. Rosenberg.

"While the government has said that a curfew would not be put in place, the Army is reportedly sending an additional 5,000 troops to the island to secure a peaceful meeting. We just cannot take the chance," Mr. Rosenberg continued. "Filmmakers view the world in terms of images: we don't want them walking away from the Phuket Film Festival with memories of armed soldiers and tanks-no matter what the reason.

That is NOT how we want people to remember Amazing Thailand."

http://www.phuketfilmfestival.asia/

...........................................

in wise kwais journal, a blog on thai cinema, a little bit more about the developments in the previous days that leads to the final call off.

Mark shot himself on the foot.

[animatic]

from the organisers:

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Bangkok, Thailand: Organizers of the Phuket Film Festival shut down the Festival just two weeks from its June 4 – 11 run date.

"We sincerely apologize to our partners, our participating film makers and those on Phuket who were helping to make this international event happen," said Scott Rosenberg festival organizer. "But with creation of an armed state on Phuket for protection of the ASEAN meeting which will take place days after the Festival is to end, we found that the "sanook" (fun) we had promised folks, was gone from the Festival."

Festival organizers are also concerned about reports that foreigners on the island are booking vacations off the island during this period to avoid being inconvenienced by road blocks, traffic jams, etc. Also, police have been warning guest houses and hotels about bookings from Northern Thailand (afraid that dissident "red shirts" will travel to disrupt meeting).

"If people from Bangkok cannot travel down to catch our movies and events and foreigners who are our target audience on the island are fleeing during this time period - there goes our box-office take which helps subsidize the Festival," commented Mr. Rosenberg.

The Festival which was to play 30 award winning films from 13 different countries, was set to host over 30 film makers, producers and sales agents from around the world including Academy Award winning actor Adrien Brody ("The Pianist", "King Kong"), acclaimed director Gus Van Sant ("Milk", "Good Will Hunting"), and Directors Guild of America nominated director Darnell Martin ("Cadillac Records", "Their Eyes Were Watching God").

"We're saddened that this event which was growing in stature in the world of film festivals was not given the attention necessary by the Thai government to carry on in a manner which would have showcased the Phuket region as a prime location destination for filming," said Mr. Rosenberg.

"While the government has said that a curfew would not be put in place, the Army is reportedly sending an additional 5,000 troops to the island to secure a peaceful meeting. We just cannot take the chance," Mr. Rosenberg continued. "Filmmakers view the world in terms of images: we don't want them walking away from the Phuket Film Festival with memories of armed soldiers and tanks-no matter what the reason.

That is NOT how we want people to remember Amazing Thailand."

http://www.phuketfilmfestival.asia/

...........................................

in wise kwais journal, a blog on thai cinema, a little bit more about the developments in the previous days that leads to the final call off.

Mark shot himself on the foot.

No Thaksin and his loathsome minions shot Thailand in the foot again.

[DaleBlue]

Isn't it safer to hold the summit in a army barrack? Rather than closing the island.

I don't think the world leaders felt easy to a attend a meeting surrounded by tanks and M16 to protect them. What if the army decided to take decision in their own hand, and hold the world leaders at ransome?