Ta Khon heads to Brazil for landmark Latin American premiere
Thai horror film Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask will make its Latin American premiere at the Thai Film Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, from August 14-16.
- The Thai horror film "Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask" will have its Latin American premiere at the Thai Film Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, from August 14-16.
- A Thai delegation, including the director, actors, and production company CEO, will attend the premiere for an opening ceremony and a Q&A session.
- The film's selection is highlighted as a significant step for Thai cinema, using a story based on the local Phi Ta Khon folk tradition to promote Thai culture to a global audience.
Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask, a horror film inspired by the renowned and mysterious Phi Ta Khon folk tradition of northeastern Thailand, will make its Latin American premiere at the Thai Film Festival, held at Espaço Petrobras de Cinema in São Paulo, Brazil, from August 14-16.
Its selection marks another international step for Thai cinema, demonstrating how stories rooted in local beliefs and cultural traditions can be reinterpreted for audiences beyond Thailand.
Thai film delegation to attend festival opening
The opening-day programme will include an official ceremony, a red-carpet event and a networking reception for representatives of the Thai and Brazilian film industries before the premiere screening.
Chanan Larpananrung, CEO of Thai content production firm Star Hunter Entertainment, will attend alongside director Puwadon Naosopa and actors Panuwat “Mos” Sopradit and Mondop “Bank” Heamtan.
The delegation will meet filmgoers and take part in a question-and-answer session following the screening.
Chanan described the selection of Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask as one of the festival’s opening films as a great honour. He also thanked the organisations involved in helping bring a Thai production to an international platform.
The CEO expressed confidence that Thai films could connect with audiences worldwide through narratives shaped by the country’s culture and identity.
He described Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask as an example of how Thai soft power could be developed through contemporary content capable of gaining international recognition.
Director Puwadon explained that Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask reinterprets the beliefs and traditions surrounding the Phi Ta Khon festival in northeastern Thailand through contemporary cinematic storytelling.
“The opportunity to take my first film to Brazil is a major source of encouragement and shows that Thailand’s local identity can make an impression on audiences around the world,” he noted.
Phi Ta Khon tradition reimagined as horror
Inspired by the Phi Ta Khon tradition, Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask explores a curse, an act of desecration and dark secrets concealed beneath a mask. The story ultimately asks whether faith will guide its characters through danger or instead lead them towards ruin.
The story follows Joy, played by Panuwat “Mos” Sopradit, and his friend as they search for clues surrounding his grandmother’s mysterious death, which may be linked to the Phi Ta Khon folk tradition.
The film is Star Hunter Entertainment’s first feature produced in collaboration with Chinese streaming service provider iQIYI. It was first released in cinemas across Thailand on November 20, 2025, and received a positive response from Thai film enthusiasts.
The film’s selection for the São Paulo festival represents not only an overseas milestone for the production but also another opportunity for Thai cinema to reach global audiences and showcase Thai culture through film.
Summary
Ta Khon: The Cursed Mask, produced by Star Hunter Entertainment and iQIYI, has been selected as an opening premiere film at the Thai Film Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, marking its first screening in Latin America from August 14-16, 2026. The selection represents another important milestone for Thai cinema in promoting Thai soft power and culture to global audiences through a contemporary cinematic interpretation of Phi Ta Khon beliefs and folklore.
