Thailand Live Friday 12 Oct 2012

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Thai producers on offensive at Busan film festival

The global economic slowdown has inflicted blows to almost every industry on the planet, and while it seems the film industry is no exception, Thai filmmakers may be going against the trend.

Every year, eager buyers hold business talks at all hours with film producers and brokers who flow into Busan from all over the globe, from Asia in particular, to sell their films.

This year, the 17th International Film Festival in South Korea’s second largest city of Busan, the usually bustling film trading market is less active than usual.

The world slump has affected producers and buyers alike at the Asian film market. The atmosphere was not as energetic and lively as in previous years.

But predictably there are Thai producers who care little for the conventional wisdom. They are unrelentingly pushing to penetrate the international film market, bringing credit both to their creative competence of the producers but to their persistence and belief in their products. Thai film producers are on the make to penetrate where no viewers have yet gone.

Panita Shinawatra, representative of Thailand’s Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion office (SMEP), said 25 Thai film entrepreneurs and producers participated in the festival and its Asian film market with the twin objectives of attracting foreign investors to Thailand and distributing Thai films in the international market arena.

SMEP and the Federation of National Film Association of Thailand jointly organised the trip.

Kantana, Thailand’s biggest and best-known film production company, has no booth at the Asian film market this year --perhaps a sign of the economic times at home and abroad-- but just the same it vaulted ahead and was able to sell “Echo Planet,” an animation movie to South Korea’s Golden Network.

Part of Kantana’s good news is that its “Echo Planet” realised a higher sales price in South Korea than in Thailand.

Thai movers and shakers are active on the scene at Busan, and perhaps are carrying Thai spirit --and soul-- to Korea’s Seoul as well, raising the temperature of both business negotiations and viewer excitement.

Bangkok director Yongyuth Thongkongthun from GMM Thai Hub --GTH for short-- smiled broadly on learning that tickets for two GTH-produced films --“Suckseed ATM” and “Seven Something”-- were sold out on the very first day despite four scheduled showings.

Meanwhile, “Countdown”, a Thai thriller, was shown at the Busan festival even though the producer said it wasn’t quite ready, as he wanted to put a final touch on his film. Viewers responded with enthusiasm for his thriller though, complimenting the Thai director for his spine-chilling production.

Five Star Production’s kiosk was visited by want-to buyers from Japan, India, Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines with many of the potential buyers taking interest in “The Second Sight” and “3 AM”, two of the group’s three-dimensional horror movies. Some buyers were keen to strike a deal even before Five Stars opened its booth.

Thai thriller and horror movies are selling like hot cakes in the international film market. A representative of Koch Media, an independent producer and marketer of digital entertainment products in Europe and North America, recently came to Thailand directly to buy horror movies to be shown in Germany next year.

German buyer Manuel Eward said in addition to major Thai film companies, smaller producers are competing for a larger slice of the international market pie.

"There're a lot of good Thai horror films, like 'Shutter' for example. It's of course interesting for Germany. I believe it's going to be a good horror film. It has a lot of good selling points. I hope Thai films will keep up the good level and high production values and Thai movie companies will do more of amazing action films," Manuel said.

Meanwhile, Angel and Bear Productions, a Thai-Swiss entertainment company, and Arromdee Studio screened their independent movies including “Yes or No”, episodes 1 and 2, and “She” in the Asian film market after their successes in China and Taiwan.

It is the first year the two producers joined the Busan festival. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-12

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: 5:30pm Looks like the Chao Phraya River is still closed to boats. But should open soon.

[Lite Beer]

Dam-impacted Mekong River communities seek help

NONG KHAI, Oct 12 - The Mekong River basin community network from seven northeastern provinces met Nong Khai governor Wirat Limsuwat today, calling for help to ease the impacts from Chinese dams upstream.

They submitted their findings after researching the planned construction of Laos’ Xayaburi dam, claiming if it is built, it will negatively impact local fisheries, farming and the livelihood of local people in ten districts of seven Thai provinces.

They want the local authorities to recognise the problem and present it to the central government, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and the Energy Regulatory Commission chaired by the prime minister.

The governor pledged to report their petition to the government and agencies concerned to find solutions to the problem, conceding that the Chinese dams do impact the water level of the Mekong River.

In September, he said, the water level of the Mekong River in Nong Khai rose when China discharged water from the dam and it rapidly dropped when it stopped releasing the water. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-12

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Phuket coral reef recovers from coral bleaching

RANONG, Oct 12 - About ten per cent of the coral reefs along Thailand's Andaman coast have recovered following previous incidents of higher sea temperatures causing coral bleaching.

Local official Chairat Tipsarn of the Coastal and Marine Resources Department office, responsible for Thailand's Andaman coast in Phuket, Pang-nga, and Ranong provinces, said the latest survey with coral recovery was a good sign.

However, the situation must be closely monitored, for the coral is now in its revitalisation period.

The local Coastal and Marine Resources Department office asked related parties for cooperation to indicate boat anchorage areas for different kinds of boats in order to not negatively affect the coral habitat.

Severe coral bleaching has happened in Thailand four times as a result of combined El Nino and La Nina storm effects causing sea surface temperature anomalies.

The first such phenomenon occurred in Phuket in 1979. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-12

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Red-shirt group wins appeal against ex-Attorney-General

BANGKOK: -- The Appeal Court Friday ordered the Criminal Court to consider a malfeasance case against former attorney-general Chaikasem Nitisiri and his deputy.

The case was filed by eight red shirts led by Veerakarn Musigapong, but was dropped by the Criminal Court on grounds that state prosecutors had done their duty according to the law. The Appeal Court Friday overruled that decision and ordered the Criminal Court to rehear the case.

Veerakarn and his group said Chaikasem and his deputy, Thaworn Panichphan, abused their power by submitting a case against the red shirts, which the Criminal Court later dropped. Veerakarn then filed the malfeasance case against the attorneys.

-- The Nation 2012-10-12

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Govt to release 500,000 tonnes of jasmine rice amid global demand

BANGKOK: -- The Commerce Ministry plans to release 500,000 tonnes of jasmine rice upon the urging of exporters amid high demand in the world market.

After meeting Friday with rice exporters, Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom said the government would gradually release rice from its stockpiles via auctions.

-- The Nation 2012-10-12

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Thailand Live Saturday 13 Oct 2012