The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from July 19 to July 29, 2007, at SF Group's SF World Cinema at

CentralWorld CentralWorld ( th, เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์, styled as centralwOrld) is a shopping plaza and complex in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the ninth largest shopping complex in the world. The complex, which includes a hotel and office t ...

. The fifth consecutive year for the festival, organizers planned a program of about 100 films, with an emphasis on

Asian cinema Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia. However, in countries like the United States, it is often used to refer only to the cinema of East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. West Asian cinema is ...

Scheduling, budgetary difficulties

Originally scheduled for January 26 to February 5, the festival was postponed because of a lack of available venues, since Bangkok cinemas at the time had planned to be fully booked with screenings of the part one of '' The Legend of King Naresuan''. In addition, the film festival organization was hit with a massive budget cut, from 180 million

baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...

to 60 million baht, which resulted in festival organizers, the

Tourism Authority of Thailand The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) ( th, การท่องเที่ยวแห่งประเทศไทย) is an organization of Thailand under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Its mandate is to promote Thailand's tourism in ...

, having to break their contract with Los Angeles-based Film Festival Management, which had programmed the festival since 2004. In previous years, the festival's focus had been on big-budget Hollywood films and lavish, red-carpet appearances by celebrities, flown to Bangkok at the festival's expense. With the budget cut and the focus on Asian films, the 2007 festival was expected to be a departure from past years.BKK International Film Festival reschedules
, ''The Nation'', 2007-02-22.

Controversy

The festival initially announced that the French-produced animated feature ''

Persepolis , native_name_lang = , alternate_name = , image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis. , map = , map_type ...

'' would open the festival. The film is an adaptation of a graphic novel by

Marjane Satrapi Marjane Satrapi (; fa, مرجان ساتراپی ; born 22 November 1969) is a French-Iranian graphic novelist, cartoonist, illustrator, film director, and children's book author. Her best-known works include the graphic novel ''Persepolis'' a ...

(who co-directed the film), telling the story of her childhood growing up in Iran during the

Islamic Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

. However, the Embassy of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

asked the festival organizers to consider showing another film from Iran, so ''Persepolis'' was dropped from the program. The festival director, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, was quoted as saying:

I was invited by the Iranian embassy to discuss the matter and we both came to mutual agreement that it would be beneficial to both countries if the film was not shown. It's a good film, but there are other considerations.Thailand pulls Iranian cartoon from film festival
''Reuters'', 2007-06-27.

We had a request from the Iranian Embassy that the film festival remove the film, and we did. Now we move on.Thai festival removes praised film after pressure from Iran
''AP'', 2007-06-27.

However, Chattan also said that the decision to cancel the film was his alone and that "there was no outside pressure". The

Hungarian film Hungary has had a notable cinema industry since the beginning of the 20th century, including Hungarians who affected the world of motion pictures both within and beyond the country's borders. The former could be characterized by directors Istv� ...

, ''

Children of Glory ''Children of Glory'' ( hu, Szabadság, szerelem) is a 2006 film directed by Krisztina Goda. Children of Glory commemorates Hungary's Revolution of 1956 and the "Blood in the Water" match. Taking place in Budapest and at the Melbourne Olympic G ...

'', depicting the " Blood in the Water" Olympic water polo match and the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...

, was chosen as the replacement opening film.

Program highlights

The festival's lineup featured a retrospective of films by Spanish director

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and m ...

and a tribute to Indian actress

Hema Malini Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...

. Malini was among the celebrities taking part in the festival's opening night festivities. The main competition categories for the Golden Kinaree were for international films and

ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...

films from

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

, as well as an international short-film competition. Non-competition sections were for Thai Panorama ( Thai films released in 2006 and 2007) Asian films, ASEAN films, documentaries and the wide-ranging Windows on the World. The closing film was '' Muay Thai Chaiya'', a

Thai boxing Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

drama film directed by

Kongkiat Khomsiri Kongkiat "Kome" Komesiri ( th, ก้องเกียรติ โขมศิริ, born 2 June 1975, in Thailand) is a Thai film director and screenwriter. Film career He graduated from the Faculty of Mass Communications at Bangkok Univers ...

Competition

Competition trophies were given out in an awards banquet presided over by Princess

Ubol Ratana Princess Ubol Ratana ( th, อุบลรัตน, , ; born 5 April 1951); ), while her legal commoner name is Ubolratana Mahidol (). is a member of the Thai royal family. She is the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit an ...

in the World Ballroom in the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre at

Golden Kinaree Awards

* Winner: '' XXY'', directed by

Lucía Puenzo Lucía Puenzo (born 28 November 1976, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine author, screenwriter and film director. She is the daughter of the Oscar-winning film director, producer, and screenplay writer, Luis Puenzo. Early life Puenzo studied literat ...

(

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

) * Special jury award: ''

Lost in Beijing ''Lost in Beijing'' () is a 2007 Chinese drama film directed by Li Yu and starring Tony Leung Ka-fai, Fan Bingbing, Tong Dawei, and Elaine Jin. It had its international premiere at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2007. ...

'', directed by Li Yu (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

) ** ''

Beaufort Beaufort may refer to: People and titles * Beaufort (surname) * House of Beaufort, English nobility * Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England * Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility Places Polar regions ...

'', directed by

Joseph Cedar Yossef (Joseph) Cedar (Hebrew: יוסף סידר; born August 31, 1968) is an Israeli film director and screenwriter. Biography Cedar was born to an Orthodox Jewish family in New York City. His father is biochemist Howard Cedar. When Joseph was ...

(

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

) ** ''

Getting Home ''Getting Home'' () is a 2007 Chinese comedy/drama film directed by Zhang Yang and starring Chinese comedian Zhao Benshan. It is episodic and follows two workers in their 50s, Zhao (Zhao Benshan) and Liu (Hong Qiwen). The film opens when Liu un ...

'', directed by Zhang Yang (

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

) ** '' Ploy'' (uncensored version), directed by Pen-ek Ratanaruang (

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

) ** '' Sankara'', directed by

Prasanna Jayakody Prasanna Jayakody (In Sinhalese: ප්‍රසන්න ජයකොඩි) is a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter, internationally recognized for his cinematic accomplishments in contemporary Sri Lankan cinema. His movies primarily ...

(

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

) ** '' Spider Lilies'', directed by

Zero Chou Zero Chou (; born 24 July 1969) is a Taiwanese director and screenwriter. Life and career Chou was born in Keelung, Taiwan in 1969. She earned a B.A. in Philosophy from National Chengchi University in 1992. She worked as a journalist before beco ...

(

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

) ** ''

The Edge of Heaven "The Edge of Heaven" is a song by English pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1986. It was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo, and was promoted in advance as Wham!'s farewell single. History With the known desire ...

'', directed by

Fatih Akin Fatih Akin (Turkish: Fatih Akın, born 25 August 1973) is a German film director, screenwriter and producer of Turkish descent. He has won numerous awards for his films, including the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his film '' Head- ...

(

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

) ** ''

This Is England ''This Is England'' is a 2006 British drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. The story centres on young skinheads in England in 1983. The film illustrates how their subculture, which has its roots in 1960s West Indies culture, especi ...

'', directed by

Shane Meadows Shane Meadows (born 26 December 1972) is an English director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in independent film, most notably the cult film ''This Is England'' (2006) and its three sequels (2010–2015). Meadows' other films inc ...

(

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

)

ASEAN competition

* Winner: ''

Before We Fall in Love Again Before is the opposite of after, and may refer to: * Before (Gold Panda EP), ''Before'' (Gold Panda EP), 2009 * Before (James Blake EP), ''Before'' (James Blake EP), 2020 * Before (song), "Before" (song), a 1996 song by the Pet Shop Boys * "Before ...

'', directed by James Lee (

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

) ** '' Alone'', directed by

Banjong Pisanthanakun Bangjong Pisanthanakun ( th, บรรจง ปิสัญธนะกูล) is a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. He saw early success with his first two films, ''Shutter (2004 film), Shutter'' (2004) and ''Alone (2007 film), Alone'' (2007), ...

and

Parkpoom Wongpoom Parkpoom Wongpoom ( th, ภาคภูมิ วงศ์ภูมิ) (born 1978) is a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. With Banjong Pisanthanakun, he co-directed and co-wrote the hit 2004 Thai horror film, '' Shutter'', and the 2007 horror ...

(

) ** ''

Bangkok Time Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population ...

'', directed by Santi Taepanich (

) ** '' Dancing Bells'', directed by

Deepak Kumaran Menon Deepak (दीपक) is a Hindi word meaning lamp, from the Sanskrit source word for light. The name Deepak symbolizes a bright future. In the twentieth century, it became very popular as a first name for male Hindus. Names like ''Deepa'' (male ...

(

) ** ''

Koper Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...

'' (''The Lost Suitcase''), directed by Richard Oh (

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

) ** '' Love for Share'', directed by

Nia Dinata Nurkurniati Aisyah Dewi (born 4 March 1970 in Jakarta, Indonesia), better known as Nia Dinata, is an Indonesian film director. Her movies are known for tackling subjects controversial or "risky" in Indonesia such as homosexuality, migrant workers ...

(

) ** '' Manoro'', directed by

Brillante Mendoza Brillante "Dante" Mendoza (born 30 July 1960) is a Filipino independent filmmaker. Mendoza is known one of the key members associated with the Filipino New Wave. Career He was born and raised in San Fernando, Pampanga. He took advertising ...

(

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

) ** '' Pao’s Story'', directed by Quang Hai Ngo (

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

) ** ''

The Bet Collector ''The Bet Collector'' ( fil, Kubrador, stylized ) is a 2006 Filipino Drama (film and television), drama film that centers on an aging bet collector finds her mundane existence suddenly transformed by an unforeseen series of events and ''jueteng ...

'', directed by

Jeffrey Jeturian Jeffrey Jeturian (born November 4, 1959) is a Filipino director and production designer for both television and film. Jeturian won the Gawad Urian Best Director Award in 2007 for the film ''The Bet Collector, Kubrador''. He studied Broadcasting C ...

(

) ** ''

The Unseeable ''The Unseeable'' ( th, เปนชู้กับผี; ; literally "Committing Adultery with Ghost") is a 2006 Thai horror film directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. This is the first film of another writer's screenplay by the director. The writer ...

'', directed by

Wisit Sasanatieng Wisit Sasanatieng ( th, วิศิษฏ์ ศาสนเที่ยง; ; born June 28, 1963) is a Thai film director and screenwriter of Chinese descent. Best known for his colourful debut feature film, ''Tears of the Black Tiger'', he is ...

(

)

Lifetime Achievement Award

Ray Harryhausen Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Might ...

Jameson International Short Films Award

* Winner: '' Eternally Yours'', directed by

Atsushi Ogata is a Japanese film director, scriptwriter, video artist, and actor. Born in Japan and partly raised in the United States, Ogata has worked in the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and the US. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Center for Advanc ...

(

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bangkok International Film Festival, 2007

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

2007 festivals in Asia 2007 in Thailand 2007 in Bangkok