News & Updates
28.01.2020 Consultation workshop on challenges and priorities of film sector in Thailand
In early January 2020, the PI came across a call for participation in a 'Consultation workshop on challenges and priorities of film sector in Thailand' shared by a friend on Facebook. After submitting the expression of interest and attended the session, I joined the two-part event at the Unesco Bangkok office in town. The highlight of the morning session is the Unesco team presenting their initial findings from data gathered from the industry. The afternoon roundtable was productive and well-curated.
In terms of the conversation which started from different parties expressing problems they faced with the aim to prioritize subjects to tackle, the subject of film fan tourism maybe positioned, at this point, at the further end of the list of priorities particularly when putting the filmmakers and independent film industry at the forefront. Nevertheless, it is important for the ecology of film culture to think of film industry in relation to film culture, which includes the subjects such as the city and cinema and film memories which is related to UNESCO's creative city. The prioritized work which would benefit all parties involved discussed at the forum is the establishment/or allocation of responsibility and budget to a body that oversees the development of the film industry which understands all shades and aspects of filmmaking, film culture, and film education. Currently the responsibility for film development is fragmented across different governmental bodies and a lot of problems faced by film companies, filmmakers were raised but not solved. This includes the crucial problem of the legal act which still censors content, and the mentality that film has to serve a 'nationalist worldview', which is far from promoting inclusive culture. [I voiced this aspect further in the follow up event in December 2020 at the Thai Film Archive.]
The event details and the summary from the event for reference below.
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Event report: OPINION: Independent filmmakers need more support from the government
Call for participation:
Tuesday 28 January 2020 at 08.30-16.30
If you work in the film sector in Thailand (director, producer, assistant director, production manager, location manager, casting crew, cinematographer, actor/actress, film academic, film distributor, screening room owner, film-related association/union, etc.) – we want to hear your voice!
UNESCO Bangkok will host a consultation workshop: Challenges and Priorities of the Film Sector in Thailand, on 28 January 2020. This is the first workshop organized under the project “Mobilizing film professionals for regional cooperation in Asia”, financed by the Government of Japan and implemented in Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam. It aims to enhance skills, knowledge and collaboration among film professionals and policy makers. Ultimately, the project will improve legal and institutional frameworks for more robust film industry at the country and regional levels.
Thailand will focus on the professionalization of the sector by empowering film professionals through skill and knowledge enhancement, information sharing, networking, and knowledge management.
The workshop on 28 January will:
Launch the project and engage in dialogues with non-governmental actors;
Discuss challenges that the film professionals are facing;
Identify priorities and actions for future capacity building and networking activities.
Please send your expression of interest, portfolio and/or any other inquiry to Ms. Kamonrat Mali Chayamarit, Culture Officer, UNESCO Bangkok at k.chayamarit(at)unesco.org and Ms. Waraporn Onnom at w.onnom(at)unesco.org before 24 January 2020 (deadline extended).
