Second annual of Phuket Film Festival is set to take place on the island in June. The event that will be held from June 4 to 13 is hope by the organizers to be bigger and better than the last festival in 2007.

In that debut festival, the seven day celebration was screening 40 films from 15 different countries, attracting a crowd of more than 3.600 people to Phuket theaters. In 2008, the festival went on hiatus, aiming to return in 2009. But, the volatile political situation in Thailand that year forced the organizers to cancel.

“The Cannes International Film Festival historically had a rocky three-to-four-year start and while we don’t want to emulate them, we sure do want to grow up to be like them,” said Scott Rosenberg, director of the Phuket filmfest. The organizers recently released a Call for Entries.

Filmmakers are invited to submit ‘screeners’ of features, documentaries, shorts and animations for possible screenings at the event. Preference will be given to award-winning filmmakers and world or Asian premiers. The 2010 Festival expects to screen about 30 to 40 films. Submissions will be accepted until April 30, 2010. There is a fee of US$50 for each submission.

News by Phuket Gazette