Bangkok to Host Second Asia Destination Film Forum on 30 January 2020

Bangkok will host the second Asia Destination Film Forum on 30 January 2020.

The event, co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Itthipol Khunpluem, Thailand’s Minister of Culture, and Dr. Sorajak Kasemsuwan, Secretary General of the National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Association, will take place at Quaint Bangkok.

First launched at the 2018 Mekong Tourism Forum in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), the forum is designed to showcase and recognize films that promote destinations and sustainability, through the power of visual storytelling.

The forum will consist of sessions held by Nick Ray from Hanuman Films, Joe Cummings, editor at large of Bangkok 101, Fah Daengdej, Host of The Passion on Nation TV 22, and others, exploring how consumers are inspired to visit destinations by visual storytelling from movies to user-generated videos, how tourism boards can leverage films, how businesses can benefit from visual storytelling, and how it can drive sustainability.

In addition to sessions and case studies by Tom Waller, producer of “The Cave” (Thailand), and by Ekachai Uekrongtham, executive producer of the Netflix series “The Stranded” (Thailand), there will be case studies by the Singapore Tourism Board, Busan City Tourism Organization, as well as the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Winner of Best Feature Film at the 2019 San Diego International Film Festival “The Steed” (Mongolia), as well as Hanuman Films’ award-winning “The Last Reel” (Cambodia) will screen during the event.

In addition, films submitted to the Thailand Film Festival, in collaboration with the Thailand Film Office of the Department of Tourism, and the Mekong Mini Movie Festival, in partnership with MTCO, will be shown during the forum.

In the evening, the 2020 Asia Destination Film Awards, as well as the Mekong Mini Movie Festival Awards, will be presented, followed by a Mongolia BBQ Film Festival night with a Mongolian celebrity BBQ chef and traditional cultural performances hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism Mongolia.

Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of MTCO and founder of the Destination Film Forum and Awards, said, “Today, video is one of the most powerful mediums when promoting a destination. It has the chance to awaken the wanderlust in the viewer by showing the essence and uniqueness of a place in just a few short moments. However, the power of inspiring people via film goes beyond promoting destinations; it can also drive change and responsible travel behavior, striving to emphasize tourism that is sustainable, responsible, environmentally conscious, and bringing benefits to local communities. In partnership with WWF and Khiri Travel, the Mekong Mini Movie Festival is creating awareness of sustainable tourism and conservation, focusing on the festival’s mascot, the endangered Mekong Dolphin.”

A Destination Film Forum networking happy hour with film previews will take place at the popular Spectrum Lounge & Bar at the Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit at 17:30 on 29 January.

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