CELEBRATING MINIATURISTS OF MOVIEMAKING
It began last week, but the 21st Thai Short Film and Video Festival is entering its climax from today until Sunday at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
This is the longest-running film festival in the country, having started modestly in 1996 and grown to become the biggest gathering of young filmmakers and international short-film specialists. Organised by the Thai Film Archive and Thai Film Foundation, the festival’s strength is its openness, generosity and advocacy of young talents who tell stories that hardly have a place in the mainstream film industry. In addition to all this, it’s entirely free.
Basically, the highlights are the two main competition sections — for film students and for the general public — regarded as the most coveted among Thai short filmmakers. Also, the international competition programme is a collection of outstanding shorts from around the world.
The Thai Short Film and Video Festival has long championed Southeast Asian films, since before Asean became a buzzword. This year, as usual, the festival showcases short films from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines — plus a special focus on Lao short films to update local viewers on the growing enthusiasm among Lao filmmakers.
And while the mainstream film scene is content with providing entertainment, the festival has committed itself to social relevance. This year, a specially curated programme called “Holding Hands”, in association with Friends Without Borders, focuses on the work by ethnic minority filmmakers who use the medium to tell the story of their communities, mostly concerning human rights and unfair treatment endured by the underprivileged. Another special programme, “Thailand 4.0”, has curated short films that reflect the state of Thai society — the frustration and absurdity that have characterised the country these past few years.
The festival continues until this Sunday. Closing night will climax with awards announcements, notably the White Elephant Award for students, and the Ratana Pestonji Award for the general public.