More than films

Published on October 26, 2007

The 5th World Film Festival of Bangkok kicked off yesterday with the big-budget Mongolian-Japanese co-production "Genghis Khan" at the Esplanade Cineplex. The 11-day festival starts in earnest today, and continues until November 4 with plenty of activities in store. Fans of early silent films will be treated with screenings of 16 shorts by cinema pioneer Georges Melies, with live piano accompaniment at 8pm today and tomorrow at the Alliance Franciase on South Sathorn Road. Just as they were in the late 1890s and early 1900s, the films will also feature narration by a "bonimemteur" or speaker, with Madeleine Malthete-Melies, one of Georges Melies' great granddaughters giving the talk.

The World Film Festival pays tribute this year to Taiwanese actress, director, screenwriter and producer Sylvia Chang. A line-up of films is devoted to her 30-year career, including the 1970s costume epic, "Dream of the Red Chamber", which screens tonight. Chang will give a talk ahead of film, starting at 7pm in cinema 6.

Highlighting the festival's new "From Books to Celluloid" programme, writer-artist Suchart Sawasdsri and poet Montri Sriyong, the 2007 Seawrite Award Winner, will give talks after the screening ofd Suchart's "Personal Histories" short films. The screening starts at 12.30pm today in cinema 3.

The Unesco-sponsored "Cultural Diversity" class will focus on films that present change and hope in different cultures from 2pm to 4pm tomorrow at the Esplanade complex. Speakers are Associate Professor Thanes Wongyannava from Thammasat University, director Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Claude Michel, secretary of the French union "CGT Spectale" and Yang Gi-Hwan, co-director of the Korean Coalition against Korea-US free-trade agreement. Admission is free.

To honour veteran Thai director and writer Euthana Mukdasanit, this year's "Lotus Award" winner, the organisers host a talk on "From Books to Celluloid" on Sunday after his acclaimed 1985

drama, "Butterfly and Flowers", which screens at 1pm in cinema 3. Euthana will come with Nippan, who wrote the 1977 novel that the film was based on.

The French Embassy and Lyon 2 Lumiere University co-hosts workshops on "Master Class" that will be held from 1 to 4pm on October 30 at The Esplanade. Remi Fontanel, a cinematic and audio-visual studies lecturer, will talk about short documentaries and major French filmmakers whose work were turning points in cinema history. Five shorts will be discussed. Yannick Verry, an alumni of Lyon 2 Lumiere University, will speak in the second session about "Mythology(ies) of My Neighbour", a collection of self-produced short films. All films are in French with English subtitles. Admission is Bt100 (Bt50 for students).

Last but not least, Bed Supperclub on Sukhumvit Soi 11 is co-hosting a director's night on November 3 from 8pm to 10pm. Among guests expected are Royston Tan, director of the Singaporean film, "881"; Lee Kang-sheng and Tsai Ming-liang of "Help me Eros", Austrian Urich Seidk of "Import Export", Dutch director Martijin van Broekhuizen of "$ Elements" and more. The public is invited to rub shoulders with the filmmakers and festival organisers.

Special events

Georges Melies' classic film with live piano

8pm, tonight and tomorrow at Alliance Francaise of Bangkok, South Sathorn Road

Tickets: Bt100 (Bt50 for students)

Tribute: Sylvia Chang

7pm today, Esplanade cinema 6

From Books to Celluloid: Short Films

3pm today, Esplanade cinema 3

Cultural Diversity discussion

2pm to 4pm tomorrow, Esplanade

From Books to Celluloid by Euthana Mukdasanit

3pm on Sunday, Esplanade cinema 3

Master Class Workshops

1pm to 4pm October 30, Esplanade

Director's Night Party

8pm to 10pm, Bed Supperclub

SIPA Digital Talk

Monday, first floor, Esplanade

Weekend Staff