Bangkok--19 Mar--Ministry of Commerce, Royal Thai Government
Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi will preside over Thai Night – Thailand Where Films Come Alive 2018, an event of celebration of Thai cinema held during the Hong Kong Film Festival & Market 2018. Also in attendance will be Mr. Sontirat Sontijirawong, Thailand's Minister of Commerce.
Organized on March 20 by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, the event will bring together film professionals from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Thailand to discuss opportunities of greater collaboration among the three industries.
For its first edition at Filmart, the theme of the event will be 'The Art of Action', putting the spotlight on action films — a genre that is associated with both Thai and Hong Kong cinemas.
Revealed to the world with the international success of the "ONG BAK" and "TOM YUM GOONG" franchises, Thai action has since gone global. Over the past few years, homegrown action hero Tony Jaa starred in two Hollywood blockbusters, "FAST 7" and "XXX: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE", which together grossed over $1.6b worldwide. Jaa is also popular in Greater Asia, his latest foray being "PARADOX", the third installment of the Hong Kong's franchise SPL, which filmed in Thailand.
Thai action is not the only genre enjoying success abroad. Director Nattawut Poonpiriya's exam cheating thriller "BAD GENIUS" broke the 100m Baht mark (US$ 3m) at the domestic box office, as well as Thai film earning records in several Asian countries including China. The film won multiple awards, including Best Feature at the New York Asian Film Festival and Best Director at Fantasia IFF. The film also featured a breakthrough performance from actress Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, who won the Screen International Rising Star Asia Award.
23 Thai film companies will showcase their work during the event, representing four sectors of the entertainment industry:
1) Film & Animation Production and Distribution: Sahamongkolfilm International, GDH 559, M Pictures, Right Beyond, Studio Aromdi, Hollywood (Thailand) Co, Pyramid & L.H.
2) Production and Post-Production: Benetone Films, Film Frame Productions, Kantana Post Production, The Studio Park, Xhabition Co, Yggdrazil Group, Studio28, G2D, The Monk Studios.
3) TV Formats: Workpoint Entertainment, BEC World, Halo Production.
4) Documentary: TV Burabha, Documania, Wishtrend Thailand, Wandee Media.