LOCATION AND TIMING are everything when it comes to film festivals. This year's Bangkok fest had the location sorted - fabulous hotels and palaces to host lavish parties, breezy sunshine, and a fireworks display and awards gala that could give the Olympics Organising Committee food for thought.
But when it came to timing, the Bangkok International Film Festival was far from ideal. Organised for the second year by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the festival dates of January 22 to February 2 overlapped with two high-profile film festivals - Sundance in the US and Rotterdam in Europe. Then on January 25, there was another shindig that attracts Hollywood stars and media attention: the Golden Globes.
It's not surprising that some of the stars and directors that were expected didn't turn up. Likewise, several films, including Oscar-nominated dramas Cold Mountain and 21 Grams, were pulled from the lineup because prints weren't made available in time. Festival organisers also feared they were going to lose another of the most eagerly awaited films - Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation - which was screening in the International Competition. But, at the last minute, a spare print was rushed to Bangkok.
'It was a typical international film festival - there were some bumps in the road, but that's normal,' says executive director Craig Prater, who formerly ran the highly regarded Palm Springs International Film Festival in the US. 'We saw a lot of improvements this year. It's great to see the local Thai audience getting excited about international cinema.'
Although ticket sales were slow at the beginning of the festival, they picked up once ads appeared in local papers. By the end of the 12-day event, many films were playing to packed houses.
Apart from films from Hollywood and local fare, there were offerings from Europe, Latin America, India, South Korea and Japan. Southeast Asia was also represented in the Asean Competition, which featured 14 films.