Pattaya Film Festival returns with 20 global films, free screenings

Pattaya welcomes the return of the Pattaya Film Festival, running from August 21 to 25. This year’s festival will showcase over 20 films from around the globe, offering free admission to all screenings. The event is a collaborative effort by Pattaya City, the Special Tourist Area Development Authority, and the Film Archive of the Ministry of Culture.

Screenings are set to take place at SF Cinema Marina, Major Cineplex Avenue, and outdoor locations such as Lan Pho Public Park and Naklua Market. The festival is designed to promote cultural diversity and offers a range of activities including discussions with international directors, masterclasses by filmmakers from Portugal and Malaysia, and a documentary pitch workshop specifically for Thai filmmakers.

The festival’s International Competition will feature films from emerging directors, including Last Shadow at First Light (Singapore), Gitling (Philippines), The Monk and the Gun (Bhutan), The Tenants (South Korea), Sea Sparkle (Denmark), and The Great Phuket (China). Winners in this category will receive US$5,000 (around 175,000 baht) and a trophy.

The Panorama section will present films that have garnered acclaim at international festivals alongside classic films. Titles include Next Sohee, The Taste of Things, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus, Waltz with Bashir, My Sea Has Some Small Waves (with a Q&A session with the director), Not So Close Friends (with a director Q&A), One For the Road, and classic Thai films Last Life in the Universe and Som Sris 422.

The Jury Showcase will highlight three films honouring the festival’s jurors: Last Time I Saw Macao by Portuguese director João Pedro Rodrigues, Tiger Stripes by Malaysian director Amanda Nell Eu, and Thai film Morrison by Puttipong Arunpeng.

Outdoor screenings will feature entertaining films such as The Undertaker and the latest action film Pattaya Heat at Lan Pho Public Park and Naklua Market, reported Pattaya News.

The Pattaya Film Festival is part of a larger project to establish Pattaya as a City of Film under UNESCO’s Creative Cities of Film initiative. The official opening of the festival takes place on August 21. For more information on the festival’s events, follow their official Facebook page.