Luang Prabang Film Festival
The Luang Prabang Film Festival (LPFF) is a non-profit organization that provides a platform for showcasing Southeast Asia’s film industry.[1]
LPFF hosts a yearly film festival in Luang Prabang, Laos, which features works solely from ASEAN-member countries. Additionally, the organization supports various educational activities, competitions and small grants for filmmakers from Laos and the greater Southeast Asian region throughout the year.[2]
Background
[edit]The Luang Prabang Film Festival was founded as a non-profit cultural organization in 2010 by Gabriel Kuperman.[3] The organization’s mission is to “celebrate filmmaking and promote cultural exchange in Southeast Asia, while supporting a sustainable local industry and art form.” [4]
The Luang Prabang Film Festival is held annually in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, Laos. The film festival showcases feature films of all genres from ASEAN-member countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam).[5]
Since its inaugural year in 2010, Luang Prabang Film Festival has been a leading platform for showcasing innovative Southeast Asian cinema, attracting over 2,000 attendees to each night-time screening.[5] The festival is held over one week each December; all of its screenings are free and open to the public.[6]
The festival generally screens art-house films in the afternoon at Sofitel Luang Prabang. LPFF screens its night programming, geared towards the local Lao audience, at Luang Prabang's Handicraft Market square.[3] LPFF's Motion Picture Ambassadors––a team of film experts from ASEAN-member countries–– propose the programming for the festival each year.[4]
| Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Sok Visal | Cambodia |
| Gayatri Nadya | Indonesia |
| Somsanouk Mixay | Laos |
| Amir Muhammad | Malaysia |
| Thaiddhi | Myanmar |
| Francis Joseph A. Cruz | Philippines |
| Aishah Abu Bakar | Singapore |
| Kong Rithdee | Thailand |
| Minh Trinh | Vietnam |
Educational activities
[edit]LPFF hosts a variety of educational workshops and activities, aimed at developing storytelling, filmmaking and production skills within the regional Lao and greater Southeast Asian communities.
The organization facilitates Lao Filmmakers Fund, the country’s only publicly generated grant program for filmmakers.[7] Support for the grant comes from Oxfam International.[4]
MEKONG 2030 project
[edit]LPFF produced a cross-border film anthology and has invited filmmakers from the five Southeast Asian Mekong-region countries to envision the future of the mekong river and its dependent communities in the year 2030. The anthology is co-directed by Kulikar Sotho (from Cambodia), Anysay Keola (from Laos), Sai Naw Kham (from Myanmar), Anocha Suwichakornpong (from Thailand), and Pham Ngoc Lan (from Vietnam).[8]
Past events
[edit]The following is a list of the programming for various past events:
2017
[edit]| Film Title | Director | Country | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Anniversary | Chilasak Saysanith | Laos | 2017 |
| In My Hometown | Worrawut Lakchai | Thailand | 2017 |
| Father and Son | Luong Dinh Dung | Vietnam | 2017 |
| 2 Cool 2 Be 4Gotten | Petersen Vargas | Philippines | 2016 |
| Bad Genius | Nattawut Poonpiriya | Thailand | 2017 |
| Blood Road | Nicolas Schrunk | Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia | 2017 |
| Burma Storybook | Petr Lom, Corinne van Egeraat | Myanmar | 2017 |
| By The Time It Gets Dark | Anocha Suwichakornpong | Thailand | 2016 |
| Cemetery of Splendour | Apichatpong Weerasethakul | Thailand | 2016 |
| The Couple | Talent 1 Team | Thailand | 2014 |
| Die Beautiful | Jun Robles Lana | Philippines | 2016 |
| Fanatic | Charlie Nguyen | Vietnam | 2016 |
| Heart Attack | Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit | Thailand | 2015 |
| In Exile | Tin Win Naing | Myanmar | 2015 |
| The Island Funeral | Pimpaka Towira | Thailand | 2015 |
| Jailbreak | Jimmy Henderson | Cambodia | 2015 |
| Khuannang | Somphong Phondy | Laos | 2014 |
| Legend of the Broken Sword | Bin Bunluerit | Thailand | 2017 |
| Mind Cage | Amit Dubey | Cambodia | 2017 |
| Motherland | Ramona S. Diaz | Philippines | 2017 |
| Ordinary People | Eduardo Roy, Jr. | Philippines | 2016 |
| Railway Sleepers | Sompot Chidgasornpongse | Thailand | 2016 |
| Redha | Tunku Mona Riza | Malaysia | 2016 |
| Rina 2 | Harlif Mohamad | Laos, Brunei | 2017 |
| Santi-Vina | Thavi Na Bangchang | Thailand | 1954 |
| Saving Sally | Avid Liongoren | Philippines | 2016 |
| Snap | Kongdej Jaturanrasamee | Thailand | 2015 |
| Turah | Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo | Indonesia | 2016 |
| Unlucky Plaza | Ken Kwek | Singapore | 2014 |
| Wandering | Boonsong Nakphoo | Thailand | 2016 |
| Women of the Weeping River | Sheron Dayoc | Philippines | 2016 |
| You Mean the World to Me | Saw Teong Hin | Malaysia | 2017 |
2016
[edit]| Title | Country | Director | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Copy of My Mind | Indonesia | Joko Anwar | 2015 |
| A Yellow Bird | Singapore | K. Rajagopal | 2016 |
| About a Woman | Indonesia | Teddy Soeriaatmadja | 2014 |
| Apocalypse Child | Philippines | Mario Cornejo | 2015 |
| Back to the 90s | Thailand | Yanyong Kuruaungkoul | 2015 |
| Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice | Laos | Daan Veldhuizen | 2015 |
| Before the Fall | Cambodia | Ian White | 2015 |
| Brutal | Malaysia | Shanjhey Kumar Perumal | 2015 |
| Cambodian Son | Cambodia | Masahiro Sugano | 2015 |
| City of Jade | Myanmar | Midi Z | 2016 |
| The Crescent Moon | Indonesia | Ismail Basbeth | 2015 |
| Diamond Island | Cambodia | Davy Chou | 2016 |
| The Down | Thailand | Pisut Mahaphan | 2015 |
| Finding Phong | Vietnam | Tran Phuong Thao, Swann Dubus | 2015 |
| Fundamentally Happy | Singapore | Tan Bee Thiam, Lei Yuan Bin | 2015 |
| Haze | Philippines | Ralson Jover | 2015 |
| Joking Jazz 4G | Thailand | Poj Arnon | 2016 |
| Khunpan | Thailand | Kongkiat Komesiri | 2016 |
| Louis Loves Baitong | Laos | Thavisack Thammavongsa | 2016 |
| Love | Vietnam | Viet Max | 2015 |
| Love Forever | Laos | Sonexay Keomanivong | 2016 |
| Lovesucks | Thailand | Manatsanun Phanlerdwongsakul | 2015 |
| Ma'Rosa | Philippines | Brillante Mendoza | 2015 |
| May Who? | Thailand | Chayanop Boonprakob | 2015 |
| Ola Bola | Malaysia | Keng Guan Chiu | 2016 |
| Question of Faith | Indonesia | Hanung Bramantyo | 2015 |
| The Return | Singapore | Green Zeng | 2015 |
| The River Flows | Laos | Makoto Kumazawa | 2017 |
| Senior | Thailand | Wisit Sasanatieng | 2015 |
| Sweet Twenty | Vietnam | Phan Gia Nhut Linh | 2015 |
| There's No Forever | Philippines | Dan Villegas | 2015 |
| Y/Our Music | Thailand | Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every, David Reeve | 2014 |
2015
[edit]| Title | Country | Director | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Act of Killing | Indonesia | Joshua Oppenheimer | 2012 |
| Above it All | Laos | Anysay Keola | 2015 |
| The Cambodian Space Project – Not Easy Rock 'N' Roll | Cambodia | Marc Eberle | 2015 |
| Chiang Khan Story | Thailand | Yuthlert Sippapak | 2014 |
| Crocodile | Philippines | Francis Xavier Pasion | 2014 |
| Dandelion | Vietnam | Nguyễn Quang Huy | 2014 |
| Dearest Sister | Laos | Mattie Do | 2016 |
| Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere | Vietnam | Nguyen Hoang Diep | 2014 |
| Gems on the Run | Cambodia | Sok Visal, Quentin Clausin | 2014 |
| Hanuman | Cambodia | Jimmy Henderson | 2015 |
| I Fine... Thank You... Love You | Thailand | Mez Tharatorn | 2014 |
| I Love You! | Laos | Thavisack Thammavongsa | 2015 |
| The Last Executioner | Thailand | Tom Waller | 2014 |
| The Last Reel | Cambodia | Kulikar Sotho | 2014 |
| The Look of Silence | Indonesia | Joshua Oppenheimer | 2014 |
| Mariquina | Philippines | Milo Sogueco | 2014 |
| Men Who Save The World | Malaysia | Liew Seng Tat | 2014 |
| The Monk | Thailand | The Maw Naing | 2014 |
| Ms. J Contemplates Her Choice | Singapore | Jason Lai | 2014 |
| Pu Bao Tai Ban: Isaan Indy | Thailand | Uten Sririwi, Jinnapat Ladarat | 2014 |
| Really Love 2 | Laos | Phoumsana Sirivongsa | 2015 |
| The Search for Weng Weng | Philippines | Andrew Leavold | 2013 |
| The Second Life of Thieves | Malaysia | Woo Ming Jin | 2014 |
| Siti | Indonesia | Eddie Cahyono | 2014 |
| Slam! | Singapore | M. Raihan Halim | 2014 |
| Somboon | Thailand | Krisda Tipchaimeta | 2014 |
| Still I Strive | Cambodia | Adam Pfleghaar, A. Todd Smith | 2014 |
| Village of Hope | Thailand | Boonsong Nakphoo | 2013 |
| That Thing Called Meant-To-Be | Philippines | Antoinette Jadaone | 2014 |
2014
[edit]| Title | Country | Director | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | Cambodia | Chhay Bora | 2013 |
| Aroma of Heaven | Indonesia | Budi Kurniawan | 2014 |
| The Boatbuilders of Mermaid Island | Malaysia | Azharr Rudin, Imri Nasution | 2013 |
| By the River | Thailand | Nontawat Numbenchapol | 2013 |
| Catnip | Philippines | Kevin Dayrit | 2012 |
| Concrete Clouds | Thailand | Lee Chatametikool | 2013 |
| Ilo Ilo | Singapore | Anthony Chen | 2013 |
| Iskalawags | Philippines | Keith Deligero | 2014 |
| Jalanan | Indonesia | Daniel Ziv | 2014 |
| The Jungle School | Indonesia | Riri Riza | 2013 |
| Madam Phung's Last Journey | Vietnam | Nguyen Thi Tham | 2014 |
| The Mangoes | Indonesia | Tonny Trimarsanto | 2012 |
| Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy | Thailand | Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit | 2013 |
| The Missing Picture | Cambodia | Rithy Panh | 2013 |
| My Teacher | Laos | Niyom Wongpongkham | 2014 |
| The Patriarch | Philippines | Alfonso Torre | 2013 |
| Pee Mak Phrakanong | Thailand | Banjong Pisanthanakun | 2013 |
| Really Love | Laos | Phoumsana Sirivongsa | 2014 |
| Return to Burma | Myanmar | Midi Z | 2011 |
| Sayang Disayang | Singapore | Sanif Olek | 2013 |
| Shift | Philippines | Siege Ledesma | 2013 |
| The Songs of Rice | Thailand | Uruphong Raksasad | 2013 |
| The Talent | Vietnam | Quang Huy | 2013 |
| The Teacher's Diary | Thailand | Nithiwat Tharatorn | 2014 |
| Tuk Tuk | Laos | Simon Luang Kiyé | 2012 |
| Vientiane in Love | Laos | Vannaphone Sitthirath | 2014 |
| We Are Moluccans | Indonesia | Angga Dwimas Sasongko | 2014 |
| When the Rooster Crows | Singapore | Leonardo Cinieri Lombroso | 2014 |
2013
[edit]| Title | Country | Director | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00 Sunday | Laos, Thailand | Bis Srikasem, Pume Peerabun | 2013 |
| A River Changes Course | Cambodia | Kalyanee Mam | 2013 |
| Ah Boys to Men | Singapore | Jack Neo | 2012 |
| Big Heart | Laos | Mattiphob Douangmyxay | 2013 |
| Boundary | Thailand, Cambodia | Nontawat Numbenchapol | 2013 |
| Contradiction | Malaysia | Nazri M Annuar, Aloy Paradoks | 2012 |
| Dancing Across Borders | Cambodia | Anne Bass | 2010 |
| Denok & Gareng | Indonesia | Dwi Sujanti Nugraheni | 2012 |
| Grean Fictions | Thailand | Chookiat Sakveerakul | 2013 |
| Headshot | Thailand | Pen-ek Ratanaruang | 2011 |
| Here... or There? | Vietnam | Síu Phạm | 2011 |
| The Hidden: Wrath of Azazil | Malaysia | Kabir Bhatia | 2013 |
| Home | Thailand | Chookiat Sakveerakul | 2012 |
| I Love Savanh | Laos | Bounthong Nhotmanhkong | 2013 |
| Karaoke Girl | Thailand | Visra Vichit-vadakarn | 2013 |
| Kil | Malaysia | Nik Amir Mustapha | 2013 |
| Lovely Man | Indonesia | Teddy Soeriaatmadja | 2011 |
| Mater Dolorosa | Philippines | Adolfo Alix, Jr. | 2012 |
| P-047 | Thailand | Kongdej Jaturanrasmee | 2011 |
| Red Scarf | Laos | Sackchai Deenan | 2011 |
| Rising Sun on The Horizon | Myanmar | Khin Maung Oo, Soe Thein Htut | 2011 |
| Scent of Burning Grass | Vietnam | Nguyễn Hữu Mười | 2012 |
| Tang Wong | Thailand | Kongdej Jaturanrasmee | 2013 |
| Thy Womb | Philippines | Brillante Mendoza | 2012 |
| What Is It About Rina? | Brunei | Harlif Haji Mohamad, Farid Azlan | 2013 |
| What Isn't There | Philippines | Marie Jamora | 2012 |
| What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love | Indonesia | Mouly Surya | 2012 |
2012
[edit]| Title | Country | Director | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Hours of Anger | Singapore | T T Dhavamanni | 2010 |
| Already Famous | Singapore | Michelle Chong | 2011 |
| Always on My Mind | Laos | Sakchai Deenan | 2012 |
| Boundary | Philippines | Benito Bautista | 2011 |
| Bounthanh: Lost in the City | Laos | Sackchai Deenan | 2011 |
| Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Thailand, Singapore | Wang Jing, Anocha Suwichakornpong, Kaz Cai | 2010 |
| Bunohan | Malaysia | Dain Said | 2011 |
| Chang | Laos | Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack | 1927 |
| Chanthaly | Laos | Mattie Do | 2012 |
| The Cheer Ambassadors | Thailand | Luke Cassady-Dorion | 2012 |
| The Dance of an Alchemist | Myanmar | Me Pwar | 2009 |
| Dance of Two Feet Left | Philippines | Alvin Yapan, Alemberg Ang | 2011 |
| Enemies of the People | Cambodia | Rob Lemkin, Thet Sambath | 2009 |
| Father's Way | Philippines | Zurich Chan | 2011 |
| Garuda in My Heart | Indonesia | Ifa Isfansyah | 2009 |
| Golden Slumbers | Cambodia | Davy Chou | 2011 |
| Hak Aum Lum | Laos | Phanumad Disattha | 2012 |
| Help! My Girlfriend is a Vampire! | Malaysia | James Lee | 2011 |
| I Carried You Home | Thailand | Tongpong Chantarangkul | 2011 |
| In April the Following Year, There Was a Fire | Thailand | Wichanon Somumjarn | 2011 |
| It Gets Better | Thailand | Tanwarin Sukkhapisit | 2011 |
| Land Beneath the Fog | Indonesia | Shalahuddin Siregar | 2011 |
| Mindfulness and Murder | Thailand | Tom Waller | 2011 |
| Mother's Soul | Vietnam | Tam Hon Me | 2011 |
| Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay | Philippines | Antoinette Jadaone | 2011 |
| With or Without Me | Vietnam | Tran Phuong Thao, Swann Dubus | 2011 |
| Who Killed Chea Vichea? | Cambodia | Bradley Cox | 2010 |
| Postcards from the Zoo | Indonesia | Edwin | 2012 |
2011
[edit]| Title | Country | Director | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Wishes, 3 Loves | Indonesia | Nurman Hakim | 2008 |
| At The Horizon | Laos | Anysay Keola | 2011 |
| Conspiracy of Silence | Indonesia | Ucu Augustiu | 2010 |
| Dark Clouds | Philippines | Joaquin Pedro Valdes | 2010 |
| Facing Genocide | Cambodia | David Aronowitsch, Staffan Lindberg | 2010 |
| Finding Face | Cambodia | Skye Fitzgerald, Patti Duncan | 2010 |
| Floating Lives | Vietnam | Nguyen Phan Quang Binh | 2011 |
| Gone Shopping | Singapore | Wee Li Lin | 2008 |
| Hexagon | Myanmar | Kyi Soe Tuu | 2005 |
| Hiphopdiningrat | Indonesia | Marzuki Mohammad, Quentin Clausin | 2010 |
| Invisible City | Singapore | Tan Pin Pin | 2007 |
| Khurafat | Malaysia | Syamsul Yusof | 2007 |
| Lao Wedding | Laos | Sackchai Deenan | 2011 |
| Lumpinee | Thailand | Chira Withaisuthikul | 2011 |
| Old Places | Singapore | Royston Tan, Eva Tang, Victric Thng | 2010 |
| On Safer Ground | Laos | Stuart Ryan, Hedley Dindoyal | 2012 |
| Panya Reanu | Thailand | Bin Bunluerit | 2011 |
| Queens of Langkasuka | Thailand | Nonzee Nimibutr | 2008 |
| The Rapture of Fe | Philippines | Alvin Yapan | 2009 |
| Senior Year | Philippines | Jerrold Tarog | 2011 |
| Tabunfire | Thailand | Chalerm Wongping | 2006 |
| Ways of the Sea | Philippines | Sheron Dayoc | 2010 |
| World Without Shadow | Malaysia | Khoo Eng Yow | 2011 |
| Yam Yasothon | Thailand | Petchtai Wongkamlao | 2005 |
| Year Without A Summer | Malaysia | Tan Chui Mui | 2010 |
2010
[edit]| Title | Country | Director | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Grams of Love | Singapore | HAN Yew Kwang | 2007 |
| 881 | Singapore | Royston Tan | 2007 |
| About My Father | Cambodia | Guillaume P. Suon | 2009 |
| Adela | Philippines | Adolfo Alix, Jr. | 2008 |
| Adrift | Vietnam | Bui Thac Chuyen | 2009 |
| At Stake | Indonesia | Iwan Setiawan, et al | 2008 |
| Bombhunters | Cambodia | Skye Fitzgerald | 2006 |
| Flower in the Pocket | Malaysia | Liew Seng Tat | 2007 |
| Karaoke | Malaysia | Chris Chong Chan Fui | 2009 |
| Little Heart | Vietnam | Nguyen Thanh Van | 2009 |
| Love for Share | Indonesia | Nia Dinata | 2006 |
| The Maid | Singapore | Kelvin Tong | 2005 |
| Mukhsin | Malaysia | Yasmin Ahmad | 2007 |
| Only Love | Laos | Anousone Sirisackda | 2010 |
| Papadom | Malaysia | Afdlin Shauki Aksan | 2009 |
| Sabaidee Luang Prabang | Laos | Sackchai Deenan, Anousone Sirisackda | 2008 |
| Sabaidee 2: From Pakse With Love | Laos | Sackchai Deenan | 2010 |
| Shadows of The Past | Myanmar | Sin Yaw Mg Mg | 2009 |
| Talentime | Malaysia | Yasmin Ahmad | 2009 |
| Today is Better Than Two Tomorrows | Laos | Anna Rodgers | 2009 |
| When The Full Moon Rises | Malaysia | Muhammad Khalid | 2008 |
| Wonderful Town | Thailand | Aditya Assarat | 2007 |
| The Photograph | Indonesia | Nan T. Achnas | 2007 |
Awards
[edit]A notable feature of the festival is its "Talent Lab" for emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers, which is held in collaboration with Tribeca Film Institute.[9] Talent Lab has been active since 2016. At the end of each Talent Lab, a jury selects a winning project to participate in the TFI Network Market.[7]
Additionally, during each Talent Lab, Aurora Media Holdings selects one project to receive a $10,000 cash investment towards the completion of the film. In 2018, Indochina Productions created a "Rising Star" award to be handed out to a participating project.[10]
In 2015, the festival instituted an audience award, which has been active ever since.[11]
Recipients
| Year | Talent Lab | Aurora Media Holdings | Audience | Rising Star (Indochina Productions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Golden | Angkat | N/A | The Lady of the Hills |
| 2018 | The Perilous Odyssey to Mount Gulsuk | Siri | N/A | QUAY |
| 2017 | Raising A Beast | Cat Island | Redha | N/A |
| 2016 | Beastmode | N/A | Cambodian Son | N/A |
| 2015 | N/A | N/A | The Cambodian Space Project –– Not Easy Rock'n'Roll | N/A |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Luang Prabang Film Fest Shines Light on Southeast Asian Cinema". The Hollywood Reporter. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ Cummings, Joe (22 December 2016). "LPFF goes from strength to strength". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- ^ a b "Luang Prabang Festival Founder on Building the "Sundance of Asia" (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ a b c "Luang Prabang Film Festival - About LPFF - Luang Prabang, Laos". Luang Prabang Film Festival. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ a b Gluckman, Ron. "The Sundance of Southeast Asia". WSJ. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ Gluckman, Ron. "A Town Without a Cinema: Where Better for a Film Festival?". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ a b "Luang Prabang Film Fest to Host 3rd Talent Lab With Tribeca Film Institute". The Hollywood Reporter. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- ^ "'Mekong 2030' Anthology to Focus On Plight Of Mekong River". The Hollywood Reporter. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (2017-11-09). "Luang Prabang Festival Increases Industry Support Role in SE Asia". Variety. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ "'The Perilous Odyssey' and 'Siri' Take Top Prizes at Tribeca Talent Lab in Laos". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (2017-12-21). "'Redha' and 'Beast' Among Winners at Luang Prabang Festival". Variety. Retrieved 2019-07-23.