Thailand woos global filmmakers with exhibition booth at Cannes Film Festival
The Department of Tourism has joined forces with the ministries of Culture, and Commerce, to open a Thailand exhibition booth at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival, showcasing potential filming locations and welcoming international filmmakers to the country.
Aran Boonchai, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, together with Jaturon Phakdeevanich, director-general of the Department of Tourism, and Udom Matsayavanichkul, International Film and Video Affairs Division Director attended the 76th Cannes Film Festival, which is being held from May 16-27 in France.
Cannes hosts one of the most prominent international film festivals in the world, attracting a large number of high-profile personalities, especially filmmakers and producers from Europe, which is a high-potential market.
It is an excellent opportunity for Thailand to emphasise its capabilities and readiness in accommodating foreign film crews, the department said.
The Thailand pavilion aims to promote the readiness and potential of the kingdom, as well as facilitate business matching between Thai film companies and entrepreneurs from various countries.
Jaturon said the Thai International Village exhibition this time is showcasing Thailand's potential as a filming location and its readiness to welcome foreign film productions. It highlights the capabilities of Thai teams, international film projects shot in Thailand, locations suitable for film shoots, convenient transportation, modern filming equipment, and opportunities for leisure and travel in Thailand after filming. Additionally, promotional activities are being carried out to encourage European film producers to choose Thailand as a filming destination.
According to 2023 statistics, European movie-makers shot a total of 95 films in Thailand, which generated over 828 million baht in revenue; 19 films from France generated over 193 million baht in revenue; giving Thailand sixth rank in terms of revenue generated from filmmaking in 2023.
More than 750 visitors are expected to visit the booth, bringing more than 1.2 billion baht in revenue to the country. This will bring significant benefits to the overall Thai film industry, including employment opportunities and income distribution among relevant personnel and stakeholders.
It would also be an opportunity to enhance the skills and professionalism of Thai personnel and entrepreneurs, as well as to elevate the quality of Thailand's film industry to an international level, the department said. Moreover, when the beauty and charm of Thailand are showcased to global audiences through the medium of film, it would lead to tourism, contributing to the future development of the tourism industry, the department said.
