On the wings of the swan

 Unlike last year when independent productions almost outnumbered mainstream flicks at the 24th Subhanahongsa Awards, Thailand’s answer to the Oscars, only one indie drama made it as far as the nominations this year yet still managed to triumph at Sunday’s night glittering ceremony.

“Phawang Rak” (“Concrete Clouds”), the debut feature of film editor Lee Chatametikool, won the top prizes of Best Film and Best Director and didn’t stop there, also recognising starlet Apinya Sakuljaroensuk with a Golden Swan for Best Supporting Actress.

The box-office smash “Kid Tueng Wittaya” (“The Teacher’s Diary”), which was widely expected to go home with the biggest prizes, had to content itself with six awards including screenplay, cinematography and editing.

Young talents Jirayu La-ongmanee and Jarinporn Junkiet were also rewarded with Best Actor and Best Actress respectively, Jirayu for his role in the coming-of-age romance “Tukkae Rak Pang Mak” (“Chiang Khan Story”), and Jarinporn for Nonzee Nimibutr’s “Jodmai Khwam Songjum” (“Timeline”).

Best Supporting Actor went to veteran star Pongpat Wachirabanjong for his role in ML Bhandevanop “Mom Noi” Devakula’s remake of “Plae Kao” “(“The Scar”).

Lee, who took four years to finish his film, was obviously surprised to win the Best Film prize and invited his entire production team, among them Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Soros Sukhum, Anocha Suwichakornpong and Hong Kong director Yonfan, on stage to share the glory.

“I would like to dedicate this award to my late father. When I went to study film in the US, he was inspired to make his own movie. He bought a Hi8 camcorder and went out filming and editing on his own. And when we watched it together, I realised that the love of motion pictures is much greater than any thought of money to be made,” Lee said to loud applause.

“I also thank all my producers for giving me the freedom to make the film. Whether in life or filmmaking, there’s nothing more important than freedom.”

Introduced to the audience by Apichatpong, Yonfan who was quick to congratulate to Lee on his success.

“I’m a great admirer of Thai film and didn’t hesitate to join the project when Apichatpong approached me. I’m so glad I could come here and see this film being honoured,” Yonfan told the crowd.

Apinya held her award high for her mother to admire and promised to work hard at her career. 

Jirayu, a former child actor who had been nominated before but never won, was also visibly moved.

The Best Documentary award, a new category this year, went to Nawapol Thamrongratanarit’s “The Master”, which chronicles the story of Bangkok’s infamous and influential pirate-movie vendor Mr Van.

Veteran actor Sombat Methanee was this year’s honouree of the lifetime achievement award.

The award process went through a radical change last year when the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand, which organises the awards, parted company with the jury system and adopted a “jury and open” system to ensure a wider range of voters.

Once again, not all the voters were able see every 2014 release, the federation’s president Visute Poolvoralaks admitted. But he added that the system had nonetheless improved. After the award announcements last year, the federation approached winners from the previous five years and invited them to serve as the jury for the first round. Around 130 voters divided into five groups –producer and director; actor; narration; production design; and sound, picture and computer-graphic effects and those who have won awards themselves – selected their choice from among the five nominees in each category.

The second judging process involved 1,600 voters from every part of the film industry. And just as they can vote in every category so too can they withdraw their voting right in the event of not having seen all five nominated films as well as for other reasons.

“However, they must vote in the best film and documentary categories,” Visute said, adding that about half of the 1,600 withdrew. “And with a jury system no longer in place, this year’s judging truly reflects the opinions of those who work in the film industry,” he continued.

Voting system aside, the awards ceremony was beset with problems. Emcees Kiatisak “Sena Hoi” Udomnak and Nattapong Chatpong tried hard, too hard in fact, to draw laughter and failed, and made plenty of mistakes. The show, which was on the theme “The Wonder of Comedy”, opened with a sequence that saw the ghostly lady Pop Yib (Natinee Sithisaman) from the horror-comedy series “Baan Phee Pob” re-enacting a famous scene and chasing dancers into a jar before performing the moves to the “ABC Chak Katuk” dance from “I Fine Thank You Love You”.

Another impressive moment was the performance of some of the Best Song nominees, with lyrics sung in Karen language from “By the River”, in Isaan dialect from Poo Bao Tai Baan: Esan Indy” and Thai from “Love on the Rock”.

The worst moment was the appearance by former UHT boy band member Ratthasart Korrasud, now the representative for the Electronic Transactions Development Agency, one of the major sponsors. Rather than discuss the entertainment business before revealing the winner, Ratthasart chose to talk about online security.

 

SUBHANAHONGSA AWARDS WINNERS