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Thai film buffs wound up the noughties with a full slate of romances, comedies and horror flicks, with the light-hearted tale "Rot Fai Fah Ma Ha Na Ther" ("Bangkok Traffic Love Story") drawing in the biggest baht at last year's box office.

 This year, moviegoers can expect something different as the new rating system combines with an interesting line-up of independent films, among them Aditya Assarat's "Hi-So" and festival favourite "Sawan Baan Na" ("Agrarian Utopia"), to vary the big-screen diet.

INDY REELS

In many ways, the ongoing economic uncertainty is playing into the hands of the independent filmmakers, who don't have the massive overheads as its big-studio cousins.

Bangkok-based Extra Virgin is bringing Uruphong Raksasad's awarded film "Agrarian Utopia" to Bangkok cinemas on limited release after its successful showing on the festival circuit.

And after picking up five Subhanahongsa (national) awards for his debut film "Wonderful Town" last year, Aditya Assarat will be back at the end of the year with his new drama "Hi-So" starring Ananda Everingham.

"Unreal Forest", produced by Extra Virgin, is also expected to hit the screens sometime in 2010. Directed by Jakrawal Nilthamrong, the film was shot in Zambia, where three young African filmmakers pitched their ideas for short films. The whole process was recorded on camera, so it's a hybrid making-of documentary and feature about tribal mysticism.

20+ RATING TAKES A BOW

Since the new film law came into force last August, virtually all movies have been rated at a level that doesn't require audiences to show an ID. That's about to change, as two Thai films rated 20+ have now been slated for release.

On March 18, more than three years since filming was completed, "Nak Prok" ("Shadow of the Naga") comes out and those wanting to see it had better remember to bring their ID cards.

The movie was held back and also used as a case study in the discussions about the ratings laws because the controversial story involves three thieves who hide their loot in the grounds of a temple and to retrieve the stolen booty they become ordained. Even after they take their vows as monks, they continue their lives as criminals.

The second movie that will require you to show your ID is Anocha Suwichakornpong's independent flick "Jao Nok Krajok" ("Mundane History"), which opened the 2009 World Film Festival of Bangkok. It was submitted to the film board before its premiere at the festival and earned the 20+ rating on the basis of some "obscene" scenes. No release date has yet been set.

REMEMBERING MITR|

It'll be a busy year for auteur Wisit Sasanatieng, who has two challenging projects. So far, Wisit has spent more than Bt100 million on "Insee Dang", the reboot of the film franchise that starred Mitr Chaibancha, Thailand's biggest movie star of the 1960s. Mitr fell from a rope ladder on a helicopter to an untimely death on October 8, 1970 while making "Insee Tong" ("Golden Eagle"). The Bt150 million "Red Eagle", a co-production between Five Star Production and Kantana, is about a masked vigilante crimefighter. Wisit has set the story in 2016 and cast Ananda Everingham in the lead.

"Red Eagle" is set for release on October 7, one day before the 40th anniversary of the death of Thailand's most beloved actor.

For now, Wisit is busy working on his part of "Camellia", the South Korean-funded Busan romance omnibus, which will also have segments by Isao Yukisada ("Crying Out Love in the Centre of the World") and Jang Joon-hwan ("Save the Green Planet"). The Thai segment features actor and "Iron Pussy" performance artist Michael Shaowanasai.

Five Star will also remember another Thai cinema great: director Bhandit Rittakol, who died on October 1 last year at age 58. He was in preproduction and had finished casting for another instalment in his long-running "Boonchu" teen comedy series.

Veteran performer Kiat "Sumo Kik" Kitjaroen takes the directing helm on "Boonchu 10" for the first time. He started his acting career in Bhandit's "Panyachon Kon Krua" in 1987 and was involved in scriptwriting for the "Boonchu" series. He'll also star in "Boonchu" along with friend Arun Phawila and Watchara Pan-iam.

HOT IN HOLLYWOOD

Producer -director Prachya Pinkaew is back in action this year with a Hollywood project, "Elephant White." Starring Djimon Honshu, production on the English-language film is set to start in Thailand in March. Prachya will work with stunt guru Panna Rittikrai on the movie, which is about an assassin facing a mid-life crisis.

IT'S A WRAP … WELL, MAYBE

"Ong Bak 3", directed by and starring action superstar Thatchakorn "Tony Jaa" Yeerum, is in the bag at a cost of more than Bt100 million and, says studio Sahamongkol Film International, the third entry in the martial-arts franchise will definitely be released this year.

Next up for Jaa will be an action film with his female counterpart Yanin "Jeeja" Vismitananda, with Jaa will once again in the director's chair.

Sahamongkol honcho Somsak "Sia Jiang" Techarattanaprasert has also set Jaa and Jeeja free to work on foreign projects, at least those in Hong Kong with which Sia Jiang has dealings, so it's possible that we might see Jaa working with Donnie Yen and Jeeja in a Jackie Chan movie.

Also coming from Sahamongkol will be the horror thriller "Who Are You?", starring Sinjai Plengpanich as a worried mother of a boy with "hikikomori", a psychological condition in which sufferers lock themselves away in their rooms. It's from the pen of Eakasit Thairatana, who wrote "13 Game Sayong" and Body 19" and Pakphum Wonjinda ("VDO Clip") directs.

There will also be "14", the sequel to director Chukiat Sakweerakul's thriller "13 Game Sayong", Mum Jokmok will reload his action-comedy pistols for "The Bodyguard 3" and comedian Sudarat "Tukky" Butrprom will get her own starring vehicle, "Tukky Jao Ying Khoiy Kob".

This year will also see the final chapter of "Tamnan Somdej Phra Naresuan" ("The Legend of King Naresuan") with parts three and four coming to the screen after several postponements. But director MC Chatrichalerm Yukol is always coming up with new ideas. Even though the epic has now reached its end, he recently hinted that he'd like to make "The Legend of King Naresuan Part 1.1", with the two young actors who portrayed the children playing handsome teenagers!

GAME FOR A LAUGH

Expect more of the same from GTH this year. The studio says it will be releasing at least two comedies by Jaturong Mokjok and Wittaya Thongyooyong. There'll also be a romantic drama from Banjong Pisuntanakun who, after successful cornering the horror market with "Shutter," "Faed" ("Alone") and contributions to omnibus series "4 Phrang"("4Bia") and "5 Phrang" ("Phobia 2"), is opting for something a little lighter.