02 May 2016 - Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand Ambassador Mary Jo A. Bernardo-Aragon, attended the opening ceremony of the Bangkok ASEAN Film Festival 2016 held on April 21 at SF Cinema at CentralWorld Mall, Bangkok.

The film festival was organized by the Ministry of Culture of Thailand and the National Motion Pictures and Contents Association to promote the film industry among ASEAN countries and introduce the ASEAN film industry to the international community as part of the activities of the ASEAN Cultural Expo 2016.

Two films from the Philippines were screened.  The first was Taklub (Trap) under the modern category and directed by Brillante Mendoza.  The film is a moving story that revolves around three characters searching for their loved ones one year after the typhoon Haiyan.  The second film was Manila sa Kuko ng Liwanag (Manila under the Claws of Light) under the classic category and directed by Lino Brocka. The movie describes the experiences of a provincial youth who comes to Manila in search of his childhood sweetheart and rescues her from the employ of Chinese pimps.

The Festival will also hold free public screening of the films, with Thai and English subtitles, in Khon Kaen Province in the Thai Northeast from April 28 to May 04; in Surat Thani Province in the Thai South from May 06 to 12; and in Chiang Mai  Province in the Thai North from May 13 to 19. END