Cinema Scene

ACCLAIMED INDIE filmmaker Pramote Sangsorn dusts off some of his work for a special screening this weekend at Thong Lor Art Space.

“The Upside Down World: Three Short Films by Pramote Sangsorn” will featuring “Observation of the Monk”, starring well-known performance artist Wannasuk “Kuck” Sirilar.
There’also the award-winning “Island of Utopias” and his most recent award-winning effort, “Isan Mars”, which was an outgrowth of an art project he did for Jim Thompson House. It comically looks at an effort to train Northeastern farm labourers for work on the Red Planet.
The screenings are at 7.30pm nightly until Sunday. Admission is Bt250 baht with proceeds after expenses going to the Ramintra School for the Blind.
For more details, check www.Facebook.com/Thonglorartspace.

Also showing

The Friese-Greene Club – Australia vs New Zealand is one of the features this month, with the two countries’ film masterpieces going head-to-head on Thursdays and Fridays. Following last night’s screening of the Outback adventure “Walkabout”, it’s the Kiwis’ turn with Jane Campion’s award-winning “The Piano”, starring Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin in her debut role, Sam Neill and a buns-baring Harvey Keitel. Next week’s match-up will pitch the “Ozploitation” horror “Wake in Fright” against the coming-of-age drama “Whale Rider”. Shows are at 8pm. For more details, check FGC.in.th.

Japanese Film Festival – Running through Sunday at Paragon Cineplex, this weekend’s highlights includes tomorrow’s 4pm special preview of “Hand in the Glove”, which stars Thai actor-musician Chanon Rikulsurakan as a glove-wearing foreigner prince visiting historic Kumamoto. He seeks to break free of his minders and experience the sights as an ordinary person. The quirky feature is directed by Japanese indie talent Yusuke Inaba, who recruited young Thai lensman Pairach Khumwan, acclaimed for his cinematography on director Nawapol thamrongrattanarit’s “36” and “Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy”. They be present for a talk afterward, along with other cast members. For more details, visit www.JFBKK.or.th.

Thailand International Film Destination Festival – Now in its third year, the Thailand Film Office’s showcase of foreign films made in Thailand runs from tomorrow until Wednesday at Paragon Cineplex. Entries include the Tokyo film festival Audience Award winner “Pale Moon” on Sunday, 2011’s “Stretch”, which David Carradine died during the making of, and “Zero Tolerance”, a British-produced action yarn directed by the infamous Wych Kaosayananda and starring direct-to-video butt kickers Scott Adkins and Gary Daniels along with Vietnamese superstar Dustin Nguyen. Tickets are free, but you have to register by phone to get them. Call (091) 757 0467 or (091) 757 1067. For the full schedule, see www.ThailandFilmDestination.com.

Take note
Several movies that were in cinemas in recent months have returned this week to capitalise on the free publicity generated by Hollywood’s awards season. This week’s returnees include the Academy Award-nominated animated features “Big Hero Six” from Disney and Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” (though it’s been playing all along at House on RCA). There’s also “Begin Again”, a musical romance, which has an Oscar-nominated original song.