Hit by low attendance, the Phuket Film Festival slashes its screenings
He's decided to cut his losses and shorten the festival from 10 to seven days. It'll still end on Sunday, but some screenings during the week have been cancelled.
Rosenberg blamed the rainy weather for keeping people from wanting to travel to Old Phuket Town, where the films were being shown in the venerable Coliseum Paradise Cineplex.
Filmmakers were upset with the schedule changes.
"I've been to a lot of film festivals, but never …," said director Bradley Cox, his words trailing off in disappointment.
Cox's documentary about a slain Cambodian labour leader, "Who Killed Chea Vichea?", was to have been shown yesterday, but it's been cancelled.
Rosenberg said it was pointless screening movies if nobody's buying tickets.
"It's embarrassing to have directors come all this way and not have buns in the seats," he said.
He also cited high costs in renting equipment to show some of the movies in digital format.
This year is the second edition for the Phuket festival, which was first held in 2007 at the SF cinemas in Jungceylon on Patong Beach.
It took a hiatus in 2008 but was planned for last year, but then political instability and possible conflict with an Asean meeting forced Rosenberg to cancel.
The festival aims to mix cinema and sanook, with some screenings held in non-traditional venues like restaurants, pubs and resorts.
Sunday night's Thai premiere of "The Prince & Me 4: The Elephant Adventure" was held in the ornately decorated Egyptian-theme banquet hall at the Green Man Pub in Rawai. Around 30 people - about half of them guests of the festival - turned out to watch the rousing, royal-theme, romantic adventure, set in a tiny, fictional Southeast Asian jungle kingdom but actually filmed in Kanchanaburi for the US and UK home-video markets by Bangkok-based De Warrenne Pictures.
Actress Ase Wang, who portrays an Asian princess about to enter into an unhappy arranged marriage with a corrupt industrialist (played by Thaitanium rapper Prinya "Way" Intachai), was in attendance, along with producer Tom Waller.
There were also excursions with festival sponsor Wahoo Boats and "Meet the Directors" parties at the Cape Yamu Resort.
Today's screening at 2 will be "3 Idiots", the Bollywood comedy that swept this weekend's Indian International Film Academy Awards in Sri Lanka.
Darnell Martin, director of the American rhythm-and-blues biographical drama "Cadillac Records", is set for the meet-and-greet tonight. She's been enjoying the sand, surf and sights of Phuket with her young son.
Other directors in attendance include Britain's Paul Hills, who's supporting his independent existential comedy "Do Elephants Pray?", which has also been cancelled.
There's also India's Paresh Mokashi, whose debut feature "Harishchandrachi Factory" was the opening film on Friday night.
Le Thanh Son came from Vietnam toting 35mm reels of his new action film "Bay Rong" ("Clash"), starring Johnny Nguyen and Veronica Ngo.
Director and Coliseum Cineplex Group owner Kom Akadej was present on Saturday for a trip down memory lane with his 1979 action-adventure "The Mountain Lion" ("Sua Poo Khao"), starring Sorapong Chatree and Jarunee Suksawat. He watched it with about four audience members.
The movie was a poorly mastered DVD - the film print was lost long ago. Six more of his old movies were shown for free on Sunday.
Saturday night's gala reception at the Royal Phuket Marina, where few punters showed up to walk the two-metre red carpet and pay the Bt1,500 fee for free-flowing wine and Kingfisher beer, was abruptly ended by rain.
Before the downpour, Apinan Poshyananda, deputy permanent secretary of the Culture Ministry, made a few remarks.
"The weather has been quite stormy and the politics quite heated in Thailand, so for those of you have to travel a long way to come to Thailand, we welcome you all."
Apinan voiced support for the film industry, and noted Apichatpong Weerasethakul's win at the recent Cannes Film Festival for the art film "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives".
"This goes to show the potential for the Thai film industry, which has been leaping many steps all over the world, and it shows that many people are excited about film," Apinan said.
He said there was also great potential in the Phuket fest.
"Phuket is extremely rich in its heritage. The ambience and the environment encourage a lot of tourism, so to have a film activity like this one, it creates a lot of income for the local people as well.
"You have Cannes in France, Pusan in South Korea. Why not have Phuket as the heart of the film industry in Southeast Asia?"
The most successful bit of programming in Phuket is Alternative Lifestyle Day, with a bloc of gay-theme films set for tomorrow. Many tickets have already been purchased for such titles as Gus Van Sant's "My Own Private Idaho" and "Milk".
Thursday's screenings are cancelled.
Friday will be a full day back at the Coliseum Paradise, with two French films - 35mm prints of "A Bout de Souffle" and the animated "Princes et Princesses" - and wrapping up with the Thai premiere of "Bitter/Sweet".
That's the Hollywood-Thai romantic drama whose screening is expected to be graced by starlet Mamee Nakprisit and other celebs.
Saturday will have a full line-up of movies at the Coliseum, including "Clash" and India's "Chadni Chowk to China".
The fest closes with the world premiere of Yuthlert Sippapak's hitman drama "Friday Killer" ("Meu Puen Dao Prasook"), now set for Stereolab on Surin Beach.
But despite the presence of directors, stars and support from government officials, the lack of an audience has discouraged Rosenberg.
"I've lost face, but I'd rather lose face than lose money," he says.
your Choice
- Vote for your favourite film in the Bon Café People's Choice Awards at www.PhuketFilm
Festival.asia.
- Watch Apinan's welcoming remarks at www.Nation
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