Feature: Laos classic to be screened alongside Hollywood heavyweights at film festival

It is a remarkable event when a film released a quarter century ago shares top billing at a film festival, and something that makes this year's Vientianale International Film Festival in Laos no ordinary celebration of the silver screen.

The festival, which runs from March 12 to March 15, was officially launched at a kick-off event on Friday night in Vientiane.

Laos' 1988 feature film Bouadeng (Red Lotus) will receive a rare screening alongside newer films such as Oscar winner The Grand Budapest Hotel, new Australian horror film The Babadook, Swiss comedy The Big Wave, Palestinian love story Omar, a Japanese animation classic Summer Wars and docudrama Jalanan, the story of three street musicians trying to make it in Jakarta.

These films will screen at night outside the capital's National Culture Hall, with others aimed at younger audience to be shown during the day at the city's Cinema Department screens.

Prague-trained director Som Ock Southiponh's 83-minute black and white feature explores the romance between a village youth and his beloved "red lotus" at a time of revolution.

The film was one of very few feature-length films produced over a period lasting some decades, something its director put down to financing in an interview for the 1999 Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival.

The festival is also reaching out to today's Lao filmmakers young and old by way of the festival's short film competition.

Filmmaker and long-time Vientianale Festival team member Athidxay(Ding) Bouandouheaung said organizers were excited to be able to share all 22 entries with their audiences.

"In a dramatically evolving region, we wanted filmmakers to reflect on what it means for them to be Lao, 40 years after the founding of Lao PDR," the filmmaker said.

Ding is also deeply involved in Lao New Wave Cinema Productions (LNWC), whose most recent success story has been the romantic ensemble piece Vientiane in Love.

The film enjoyed an extension of a 10-day run that included Valentine's Day at theaters at Lao-ITECC, for now the city's sole cinema multiplex, though set to be joined by others as soon as May, as confirmed to Xinhua on Friday by Platinum Cineplex country head for Laos, Shailender Puri.

Yet despite prospects for progress, the popularity of foreign releases and the relatively small domestic and international markets for Lao language films continues to present challenges to the Lao film industry.

Speaking to Xinhua, LNWC Managing Director Anysay Keola said viability in the nation's film industry meant being able to understand the target audience, gathering sponsors and doing the sums was vital.

The formula for success of the classic feature Vientiane in Love was built on previous experiences with LNWC's 2013 film Hak Am Lum, which also saw the film screened in neighbor Thailand.

Unashamedly shooting for mainstream success yet not necessarily shunning the more experimental, he said project choice and scope were keys to success in Lao cinema.

"To survive in making films in Laos, we need to explore what is popular," Anysay said.

"We need not just a good story, but we need to find sponsors, add our investment and minimize risk," he said.

"More experimental projects can then be explored, but on a smaller scale and we are hoping to continue making local productions using this model. LNWC is not just about a few guys, but also supporting Lao filmmakers as a movement together," he added.

Such insights and more will be available to budding moviemakers and film devotees alike, as representatives of LNWC are joined at the festival by the Filipino and Indonesian directors of Boses and Jalanan for industry expert talks.

An acting workshop sponsored by the Japan Foundation will also be offered.

Other art forms also get a look in, with a photography and contemporary art exhibition, dramatic performances by Khao Niew Theater, live music from local pop and rock bands and an original dance piece from Fanglao dance company. Endi