First ‘Terrifying Thai Film Festival’ to haunt Khao Yai on Feb 3-5

Guest of honour will be trailblazing female Laotian director Mattie Do, showcasing her award-winning feature “The Long Walk". Iconic horror filmmaker Brian Yuzna (“Re-Animator”, “Return of the Living Dead” and “Amphibious 3-D”) will be chatting via video link, while other well-known filmmakers including Paul Spurrier, owner of Bangkok’s excellent Friese-Greene cinema club and creator of “The Forest” and “The Maestro”, will be there in the flesh.

The brainchild of SP Somtow, award-winning author of classic horror novels like “Vampire Junction”, and his sister Premika who created Somtow’s World in Khao Yai as a retreat and performance space for artists of all kinds, the festival asks only one question of its attendees: What Scares You?

“People are scared by many things. It might be the supernatural. It might be a serial killer. It might even be politics, the police, or even their own dark natures. When filmmakers submitted to us, we did not restrict them to any strict ‘genre’ — just to tell compelling stories about the terror of the human condition. So yes, we do have submissions that are like mini-horror films. We have environmental horror, personal horror, and just plain paranoia. All are represented,” said Somtow.

Chat with legend behind ‘Re-Animator’ Participating via zoom will be Yuzna, friends with Somtow for more than 30 years and a seminal figure in the horror movie genre. “We hope to show two of Brian’s movies at the festival: one is “Society”, his very first film and still one of the most disturbing horror films ever made, and “Amphibious” [co-written by Somtow] a giant sea-scorpion monster movie notable for being set in an Indonesian fishing platform,” Somtow said.

Calling All Horror Buffs Horror buffs, filmmakers and movie fans are all invited to Somtow’s World in Pakchong for a weekend of panels, workshops, and special all-night classic horror films curated by the Friese-Greene Club, Bangkok’s private classic movie club. Discuss how to fund your film, how to write a screenplay and other topics with experts. Food and beverages are available around the clock from Pink Le P’tit Café.

The fun starts on Friday with a welcome reception, opening ceremony, and premiere screening. Classic horror movies all night long. Saturday and Sunday: short films, panel discussions, kaffeeklatsches and presentations in the daytime. Saturday: more all-night films. Sunday: judges announce awards, people’s choice award, and final award ceremony and closing.

A festival pass for the entire weekend, including films, panels, workshops, discussion groups and demos, is 2,000 baht, or 900 baht per day. Students can use the promo code STUDENT to get a 50% discount. Organisers say discounts for large student groups are also available upon request. For more info, check out www.terrifyingthai.com. Festival passes are available at www.ticketmelon.com/terrifying.