Film fest starts off with a bang

The sound of anti-amnesty demonstrators’ w0histles kept up a racket outside CentralWorld last Friday and inside its theatres there was the boom of a bang fai missile as the World Film Festival of Bangkok opened with “The Rocket”, made largely in Thailand by Australian Kim Mordaunt. 

It was one of this year’s must-see movies, so the opening was packed with cinema buffs, critics, industry people and generous patrons. Mordaunt had launched his Oscar-nominated “The Rocket” at the Berlin film festivals and was happy to have it screening closer to “home”.

Enthusiastic applause rewarded the movie, which had a primarily Thai crew and stars mostly Thais, including comedians Thep Pho-ngan and Bunsri Yindi and young Thai-Lao actor Sitthiphon Disamoe, along with heart-stealing Lao actress Loungnam Kaosainam.

Unfortunately Sitthiphon disappointed fans who were hoping to get their pictures taken with him – he’d pulled another of his characteristic vanishing stunts just before the opening. Cute Loungnam was there, though, and soaked up the superstar treatment, clad in a traditional costume of her homeland and chatting in Lao with admirers.

A superstar of an earlier era, Jarunee Suksawat, made an appearance as well. The recipient of this year’s Lotus Award for lifetime achievement certainly had her share of the spotlight ahead of the “The Rocket” screening. She was the queen of the box office in the 1980s and still looks great in her 50s, “so much younger than her age”, as one fan was overheard saying in amazement. 

The festival features two of Jarunee’s movies – “Ban Sai Thong” and its sequel, “Pojjaman Sawangwong” – for which she will always be remembered with fondness.

They are among the more than 60 titles from 25 countries scheduled for the festival, which continues through Sunday. By the end of the first weekend it was already clear that festival director Kriangsak “Victor” Silakong and his brother Dusit, the assistant director, had made some fine choices from the 800-plus movies submitted. 

Independent Thai films have enjoyed another banner year. The festival has “Tangwong” by Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, “Village of Hope” by Boonsong Nakphoo, “Mother” by Vorakorn Ruetaivanichkul, “Karaoke Girl” by Visra Vichit-Vadakan and the closing film, “By the River”, which won a prize at the festival in Locarno, Italy, this year for Nontawat Numbenchapol.

The Nation Group, which founded and continues to sponsor the festival, is grateful for the support of the Ministry of Culture’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, SF Corp, and the makers of Stella Artois beer. 

See the full schedule of movies at www.SFCinemaCity.com and www.WorldFilmBkk.com.