The second annual Bangkok Film Market, Southeast Asia’s largest event of its kind, opens today for a five day run at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok. The event has doubled attendance over last year’s event, announced the director of the event, Christine Rush. Those attending will be welcomed this evening at a gala reception and then will be free to choose among screenings, workshops and meetings customized to ease introductions and provide critical inside information on the business side of making movies and television programs.

The final tally of exhibitors will pass 300, compared to just over 100 in January of last year. A number of countries are fielding significantly larger delegations this year, including China, India, Japan and the United States. For the second year, the film market is co-located with the two-week long Bangkok International Film Festival which is screening more than 170 films from around the world and has already drawn several thousand film makers, film lovers, and media to Bangkok. The film festival opened on January 13 and will close on January 24.

Said Rush: “Bangkok is quickly becoming the premiere film capital of Southeast Asia. Our rough estimate last year was that the Bangkok Film Market 2004 event was responsible for more than $100 million in film deals that were the direct result of meetings and negotiations begun or concluded during last year’s event. With the large expansion of participating firms and individuals here today, we expect that deals number to easily pass $250 million. That’s good for Thailand and for Southeast Asian cinema. Strong attendance today confirms growing international respect for the young audiences across increasingly affluent Asia markets who are hungry for film and broadcast entertainment.”

Rush also announced that exhibition space for the Bangkok Film Market is sold out at the Shangri-la Hotel in Bangkok where additional offices and suites were opened up to accommodate the overflow of companies wishing to exhibit. Individual registrants are projected to be over 500 – again more than triple the number of individuals who registered last year.

Added Rush: “This is a dealmaker’s paradise. This year we expect dozens of significant films to be financed, packaged, licensed, or greenlit right here during the Bangkok Film Market. In just two short years, this event has become the major forum for the entertainment business in Southeast Asia. We are drawing to Bangkok significant international leaders in film distribution and production – agents, attorneys, acquisition and development executives, financiers, film commissioners, directors, producers and writers – converging in Bangkok for five days of screenings, hospitality, and deal-making.“

Reception.
Opening reception party for registered attendees will be today from 7:00 PM to 10 PM poolside at the Shangri-La Hotel. Media registered for either the market or the film festival are invited to attend and will be assisted in setting up interviews.

Power breakfasts.
The market is also sponsoring a daily series of themed daily “power breakfasts” at the Salathip Restaurant on the river terrace of the Shangri-La Hotel which will connect bankers, film producers and film makers in informal discussion sessions. Themes will include financing, international sales and distribution, and producing. Table hosts include Davenport Lyons, Royal Bank of Scotland, ICB Entertainment Finance, Cinetel, Imagination Worldwide. Producers Buzz Feitshans (Total Recall, Die Hard With a Vengeance) and Robert Levy (Van Wilder, the Wedding Planner) will be among the hosts for the producing breakfast.

Workshops.
Workshops will include an animation symposium honoring producer Gabor Csupo (Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats, Simpsons) and other sessions providing tips and briefings on film financing, project packaging, and producing. Among workshop participants will be producers Andy Vajna (Terminator 2, Evita, Basic Instinct 2), Mario Kassar (Lolita, Cliffhanger), Lloyd Kaufman (Toxic Avenger) and financiers Lew Horowitz (Lewis Horowitz Organization) and Lee Beasley (Royal Bank of Scotland).