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Bangkok Inaugurates "Golden Kinnaree" Award for 2003 Festival

by Brian Brooks

(indieWIRE: 12.13.02) -- Seventy films from 35 countries are slated for the 2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, which opens January 10 with the theme of "Masters to Present." This year's festival, which continues through January 21, will feature the inaugural Golden Kinnaree Competition. The awards, named after a revered Thai mythological figure, will be given to best director, best screenplay, best actor, best actress, and best film (The Golden Kinnaree). Films competing will begin January 17th with the Asian premiere of Julie Taymor's "Frida," on the life of the Mexican surrealist. Zhang Yimau's "Hero" will close the event, which includes eight other films from around the world.

Other festival highlights include screenings of Martin Scorsese's anticipated "Gangs of New York" and Rob Marshall's "Chicago." Pedro Almodovar's "Hable con Ella" (Talk to Her) will join Denzel Washington's directorial debut of "Antwone Fisher" along with five other films featured as gala screenings. The festival's other events will include Jerry Goldsmith conducting the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra followed by a charity gala dinner on January 18.

"Bangkok is at the crossroads of Asia which makes it the logical place for an event of such growing significance to the world's motion picture community," commented Juthamas Siriwan, Thailand's governor of tourism and festival president, in an event release. "This year's festival will stake its position as the prime pan-Asian launching platform for quality international filmmaking." [Brian Brooks]