with Laos. At last year’s festival Cambodia made a strong impression—the absolutely riveting documentary Cambodian Son won the ‘Audience Choice Award’—and this year there are three films to look forward to from that nation’s burgeoning film industry. Another growing film industry can be found in The Philippines, which has six titles in competition (the most films in the 2017 line-up, after Thailand). In addition to the feature film screenings, LPFF will also have four programmes of short films, four public discussion forums, a Talent Lab for Southeast Asian filmmakers led by the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI), and a documentary production workshop. If you’ve never attended the LPFF it is a truly one-of-a-kind event. The fact that all screenings and related activities are free and open to the From its humble beginnings as a celebration of As it has the most active film industry of all the public makes it a very unique and wonderfully Southeast Asian cinema, the Luang Prabang Film Southeast Asian nations, it’s not surprising that inclusive event. In addition, the presence of the Festival (LPFF) has grown into a well-known and Thailand has the most films in this year’s line-up. directors, producers, and/or actors at almost every important forum for regional film professionals to Among the one dozen films from these shores are post-film Q&A at the official LPFF day screening network internationally and get their films seen by such titles as: Bad Genius; By the Time it Gets venue—located in a traditional raised wooden a larger audience. This year marks the 8th edition Dark; Cemetery of Splendour; The Couple; Heart house on the grounds of the Sofitel Luang of this annual event, which runs from December Attack; In My Hometown; The Island Funeral; Prabang hotel—means you really get to know the 8th to the 13th. Legend of the Broken Sword; Railway Sleepers; back story of each film. Finally, add the that the Snap; and Wandering. beauty and laid back ambience of Luang Prabang Founded in 2009 by American-born Gabriel itself (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and you’ve Kuperman, the LPFF is a not-for-profit project that Thailand is also the focus of this year’s ‘Spotlight’ got the best holiday destination a cinephile could fosters cross-cultural dialogue within the region programme, with a full day of programming ask for. and supports the burgeoning film industry in both devoted to screenings and discussion of Thai Laos and the greater ASEAN region. By identifying feature films. Kong Rithdee—LPFF’s Motion For more details on specific screenings, as well as great curators, with inside understanding of their Picture Ambassador for Thailand, and a film critic information on how to plan your trip, visit the community’s film scene, LPFF is able to produce a for the Bangkok Post—will act as the programme’s official website at: www.lpfilmfest.org. unique programme that ensures the inclusion of host, leading post-screening Q&As and a public the strongest voices from across Southeast Asia. discussion. Among the movies screening in this Official selections are made by experts and critics special programme is the 1954 film Santi-Vina, from across Southeast Asia—referred to as which was recently restored for a screening at ‘Motion Picture Ambassadors’—and the final ‘Cannes Classics’ in 2016. roster of movies to be screened represents a carefully chosen collection of what they believe to Meanwhile, the other nine ASEAN nations are all be the finest contemporary films from their present in this year’s festival, even Brunei which is respective countries. represented by the film Rina 2, a co-production .