Following a busy FilMart for Thailand’s film industry, a trio of Thai projects will next travel to France for the seventh edition of Thai Pitch at Cannes.
Tongpong Chantarangkul (“I Carried You Home”) will pitch his second feature, “The Fireflies,” set in Barcelona, about a fire juggler; Tanwarin Sukhaphisit, (“A Gas Station”) pitches LGBT-themed project “Down in Heaven”; and Chatchai Chaiyon, is producing “Solids by the Seashore,” the debut feature by Patiparn Boontarig, about a same-sex love story set in Thailand’s South.
The event will be held May 13-14 at the Thai Pavilion within the festival’s International Village. Organized by Thailand’s Ministry of Culture, the event is coordinated by producer Raymond Phathanavirangoon (“Apprentice,” “Samui Song”).
Thailand enjoyed a high profile this week at FilMart, where for the first time three government agencies worked together to put up a Thailand Pavilion, for producers and production facilities companies to sell their contents and services.
In another first, FilMart was the venue for a Thai Night event. It mixed up traditional dance, production services pitches from 23 companies, and visits from royal princes HRH Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya and Sontirat Sontijirawong, Thailand’s Minister of Commerce. Previous Thai Night events have only ever been held in Cannes, Busan and the American Film Market.
The debut Hong Kong event was branded “The Art of Action.” It put the spotlight on action films, a genre that is associated with both Thai and Hong Kong cinema industries, and which the minister said has appeal for the mainland Chinese audiences, as well.
On Wednesday, Kitsayapong Siri, permanent secretary for culture, hosted a drinks reception on the tradeshow floor. Again, it mixed foreign producers and Thai location services companies.
The country is currently enjoying success attracting increased numbers of small and medium sized feature films. Latest figures showed that movie shoots increased from 50 in 2016 to 80 in 2017, with a couple successfully accessing the production rebate scheme, that was launched in 2016.
Production and sales firm M Pictures enjoyed good sales business at FilMart with its latest two movies. “The Legend of Muay Thai: Nine Satra” was licensed to Bona Film for China, CJ CGV for Vietnam, Cine Asia for Australia and New Zealand, Suraya Filem for Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, Sabai-MVPC for Cambodia and MVP-M Pictures for Laos. Its “Krasue: Inhuman Kiss” was sold to Suraya for Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, to Sabai for Cambodia, and MVP for Laos.
