"Just a little over two months ago, the 'Red Shirt' protest situation here in Bangkok was at a critical juncture...parts of the city were burning and curfew was in place. //
No one knew how, or when, the protest situation would be resolved. Our festival, which had progressed promisingly through pre-production, lost potential sponsorships and support as key potential sponsors ceased communications and closed their offices, while potential venues - TK Park, the Siam theater - were physically shuttered or destroyed. //
As the first international film event to take place here following the protests, it's
apparent that the Bangkok IndieFest has successfully 'broken the ice' or paved the way
for many others to follow suit...we did this with a bare bones budget, thanks in large
part to the participation of all the filmmakers and our volunteer driven efforts. //
Despite concerted outreach via Thai and foreign associates before, during and after the
protest period, we unfortunately received no support from the local Thai government and
Tourism Authority. We would encourage interested persons in the local Bangkok media and arts community to drop a line to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and other agencies, and encourage them to support grass-roots undertakings such as Bangkok IndieFest in the future.