Bangkok International Film Festival

[sabaijai]

Redgrave, Dafoe among major stars expected at Bangkok film festival

Canadian Press

Published: Friday, January 20, 2006

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Dozens of movie stars and directors from around the world, including old hands such as Vanessa Redgrave and Christopher Lee, are expected in the Thai capital next month for an international film festival.

Among other stars scheduled to make an appearance at the fourth Bangkok International Film Festival on Feb. 17-27 are Willem Dafoe, Diane Ladd, Helen Mirren, Hayden Christensen and Japan's Tadanobu Asano.

Also coming are directors Bruce Beresford and Fred Schepisi of Australia and American Terry Gilliam, and producer Donald Ranvaud who was responsible for City of God and last year's The Constant Gardener, from a John le Carre novel.

The festival will feature about 160 movies from 50 countries, including Invisible Waves by Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and the film version of the Broadway hit Rent, directed by Chris Columbus.

There will also be a spotlight on films from Southeast Asia, Denmark, Canada and Italy, as well as dance movies, including classics like Singing In the Rain and West Side Story, and documentaries Ballets Russes, Iberia, and Rize.

© The Canadian Press 2006

BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS CATHERINE DENEUVE

09 February 2006

Los Angeles , CA

The Bangkok International Film Festival (February 17-27) will honor Catherine Deneuve with the 2006 Golden Kinnaree Career Achievement Award for her contribution to cinema. Presentation will be made during the festival's black tie Award Gala on Friday, February 24 th at The Conrad Hotel.

Catherine Deneuve, long known for her work with international film directors, came to worldwide prominence in 1964 in Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg , which will be screened as a special festival presentation on February 21 st . Nominated for an Academy Award© in 1992 for her performance in Regis Wargnier's Indochine , Deneuve has been nominated for France's Cesar Award ten times, winning for Indochine and Francois Truffaut's The Last Metro . BAFTA honored her work as Best Actress in Luis Buñuel's 1967 masterpiece Belle de Jour . Deneuve's oeuvre includes films by Roman Polanski (Repulsion), Buñuel (Tristana), Truffaut (Mississippi Mermaid), Tony Scott (The Hunger), Lars von Trier (Dancer in the Dark), Francois Ozone (8 Women) and others. She recently completed Thierry Klifas' Le Heroes de la Famille .

Craig Prater, Executive Director of the Bangkok International Film Festival, stated, “We are extremely pleased to have Ms. Deneuve join us this year. Her impressive career brings a new level of excellence to the festival and her presence in Bangkok will surely be one of this year's highlights.”

Confirmed to attend the Bangkok International Film Festival are Vanessa Redgrave, Terry Gilliam, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Lee, Carlo Nero, Peter Chan, Thom Fitzgerald, Diane Ladd, Deepa Mehta, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn, Bruce Beresford, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Roger Donaldson, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Rufus Sewell, Tracie Thoms, Anthony Dod Mantle, Tadanobu Asano, Gang Hy Jung, Danis Tanovic, Vincent Ward, Nadine Monfils among others.

Thailand 's Pen-Ek Rtanaruang's Invisible Waves (recently nominated for 11 Hong Kong Film Awards) has been selected as the Opening Night film. Chris Columbus' Rent has been selected to screen at the Closing Night Gala.

Official sponsors of the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival include Thai Air, BMW, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Sony, Bangkok Post, Siam Paragon, Paragon Cineplex, Conrad Bangkok, Virgin Radio Thailand and Inter-Continental Bangkok.

For further information please contact:

Thomas Castaneda / Maria LaMagra

Nadia Bronson & Associates

Telephone: 310.205.4858

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

BKKIFF