Bangkok International Film Festival Postponed

[george]

Bangkok International Film Festival postpones

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok International Film Festival 2007, previously scheduled in January next year is postponed to July, according to its organiser Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The postponement is mainly because of unavailability of theatre venues to accomodate a great number of participating films.

This unexpected decision has compelled TAT to significantly alter its preparations, which had been progressed until the sudden position change by a theater operator.

TAT, however, doesn't reveal the specific theatre operator in its release.

Under this circumstance, TAT said in its statement that it feels that it is in the best interest of the festival and its participants to re-schedule the BIFF to July 2007.

The new schedule will enable a smooth transition to a new venue, and allow enough time for the operation under its new organising team.

The location and dates for the July festival have not been determined, but the venue will be certainly held in downtown Bangkok.

-- The Nation 2006-12-26

[Jai Dee]

Bangkok Film Festival Postponed To July

The 2007 edition of the Bangkok International Film Festival has been pushed back to July because of to a lack of available theatres.

The problem stems from the pending January release of "The Legend of King Naresuan," which is expected to be big hit in Thailand and has theatre operators reluctant to earmark screens for the festival, the Bangkok Post said Saturday.

The festival had been scheduled to run in late January and early February.

The U.S. company that had run the festival for the past four years was replaced last month by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Source: UPI - 26 December 2006

[Jingthing]

This festival is heavily subsidized by the government, the Tourism Authority specifically. It is very expensive and of course runs at a great loss. The reality is, the vast majority of attendees are not Thai people, so it is in effect, really a tourism event.

I also read in another source that the film programmer for the much more local Thai oriented World Film Festival (held in Octobers) has been invited to program the postponed festival. That sounds very odd. The same programmer for two major film festivals, which before now, had two totally separate focuses.

I have been attending this festival from the early days and appreciate it very much. Last year, a very detailed survey was done of fesival goers, clearly as a way to justify continuing to spend this money. With a coup, a military government, the hopes for a new constitution and elections, it would be understandable that a tourism promoting film festival might go on the back burner.

I fear there is much more to this "postponement" than meets the eye. Hope I am wrong!

Edited December 26, 2006 by Jingthing

[lomatopo]

http://www.tatnews.org/tat_release/detail.asp?id=3321

Bangkok, February 22, 2007 — The Bangkok International Film Festival 2007 today announced the dates for this year’s event as during July 19-29. The venue will be the new downtown shopping and lifestyle complex of Central World, while films will be shown in the modern SF World Cinema located on the upper levels of the complex. The Bangkok Film Market, which is trade show for film buyers and sellers, will be at nearby Siam Paragon Hall during July 23-25.

Originally scheduled for January 26 - February 5, the festival was postponed to July due to the sudden unavailability of theaters. However, the move to July will allow the city to show off its new shopping center and particularly its cinemas, which many regard as the finest in Asia.

The 2007 version of the festival, held for the 5th consecutive year, will feature approximately 100 films from around the globe. There will be an increase in emphasis on Asian films to respond to their popularity both in Thailand and abroad. Asian movies regularly screen in theaters in major cities and they have generated large followings in certain genres like horror and romantic comedy. Some have even been made into major Hollywood productions. The Bangkok Film Market held during the festival is expected to do brisk business in the acquisition of Asian films for theatrical release overseas, with many projects planning to recoup their investment with screening and DVD sales outside their original base. Negotiations are commencing for a number of celebrities and industry individuals to attend the festival.

The Bangkok International Film Festival will also feature several seminars and workshops aimed at educating the public and introducing new developments in movie making, as well as some retrospect on important pioneers and periods of local cinema. The highlight of the glamour part of the festival is the Kinnaree Award presented to the best film in the festival as selected by a respected panel of international jurors. Two other awards will be the New Voices Award honoring first-time directors and the ASEAN Films Award given to the best film from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

After fruitful collaboration with an American-based partner in previous years, the 2007 event will be the first ever organized by a core of Thai organizers, which include the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Central World, SF Cinema, and the Association of Thai Film Federations.

A second larger press conference will be held sometime closer to the festival, at which time there will be more information on films and stars confirmed for participation.

For updates, please contact the Bangkok International Film Festival at [email protected].