CHONBURI: The inaugural Pattaya Film Festival will run from June 15-19 and feature over 20 titles from around the world, including contemporary and classic films as well as a programme for children. All films will be screened free of charge at SF Cinema Marina, Mahatai Pattaya Convention Center, and at the outdoor screen on North Pattaya beach.
The event is hosted by Pattaya City and Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta), in collaboration with the Thai Film Archive and Ministry of Culture.
The first-ever Pattaya Film Festival is part of a long-term project to promote Pattaya as a City of Film under Uneseco's Creative Cities Network. The festival's aim is to boost the cultural vibrancy of the beach town and bring films of diverse sensibilities to audiences. It also aims to promote Pattaya of Chonburi province as a location for film shooting.
The film programme consists of:
International Competition, with seven new films that have never been released in Thailand before vying for a US$5,000 (172,900 baht) prize.
Cinema Multiverse: A programme of artistic as well as classic films that have been released in Bangkok but never in Pattaya. Some of the highlights include Return to Seoul, Aftersun, Blue Again and classic films like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz and Superman.
Pattaya Movie on the Beach: A selection of Thai and international films to celebrate Pride Month, as well as films that feature Pattaya as a location. The location is North Pattaya beach, close to Dusit Thani Hotel. Some of the highlights include The Last Song, the best-known Thai film about cabaret singers, and Sai Lor Fah, a Thai action film set in Pattaya.
School Cinema: A programme of child-friendly films to be screened at Mahatai Convention Center, together with post-screening talks to promote the film as an educational tool for school teachers.
Documentary Pitch, a workshop with eight Thai projects. The mentors are professional documentary filmmakers Alice Agneskirchner from Germany, Jewel Maranan from the Philippines and Stefano Centini from Italy and Taiwan. Two prizes worth 200,000 and 100,000 baht will be handed out to two outstanding projects.
Korean director Shin Su-won will be in Pattaya to hold a masterclass on her directing career. Shin is one of the best-known Korean filmmakers. Her films have been selected by top film festivals such as Cannes and Busan. As part of the masterclass, the festival will show two of her films, Passenger#3 and Hommage.
The festival will also host several panels with international film experts.
More details and the full schedule will be updated on Facebook: Pattaya Film Festival.
