Indonesian film wins Best Asean Film award
The Bangkok Asean Film Festival wrapped last night with an awards ceremony that saw the Indonesian political drama “Solo, Solitude” take home the Best Asean Film prize of US$10,000 (Bt350,000) and a trophy.
The Singapore- Thailand offering “Pop-Aye” was recognised with the Jury Prize, also receiving a trophy and $5,000 in cash
“Birdshot” from The Philippines won a special mention and the jury vote.
“Solo” is centred on Indonesian poet Wiji Thukul who is forced to live in exile in Borneo in 1997 after joining the protests against the Suharto regime. The film portrays his loneliness and his longing to be reunited with his family.
Organised by Thailand’s Culture Ministry in collaboration with the National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations, this year’s festival celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Association of South East Asian Nations and the inauguration of the Asean Film Competition. The aim, the organisers say, is to bring Asean films to the international platform. Ten films were selected for the competition which was judged by a jury of three: Hong Hyosook, director of the Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), Maggie Lee, chief Asian film critic for Variety magazine and Tokyo International Film Festival consultant, and Japanese director Koji Fukada, the winner of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival’s Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard for “Harm- onium”.
