Did you know that Laos has the most unique film festival that presents open-air film screenings?
Get ready for an exciting celebration of cinema and culture like no other. Laos hosts the most unique film festival in the world! It's not just any festival, but an open-air film screening held in the heart of the beautiful city of Luang Prabang. The festival takes place in an ancient Buddhist temple, which adds a magical touch to the experience. The festival, which is held every December, is attended by various groups, not just filmmakers, art critics, or film lovers, but anyone can come without exception.
Currently, the festival is known as the Blue Chair Film Festival, which was formerly known as the Luang Prabang Film Festival. The city that hosts the festival is a UNESCO world heritage city, an attractive tourist location, and the perfect venue for cultural events. Luang Prabang City does not have regular cinemas, so festivals are the most appropriate moment for local people to enjoy various films, ranging from national to international, exclusively. You won't notice any traffic lights or public transportation in this city, a place where culture and traditions are well-preserved.
This film festival is not only a place for many people to watch films, but also provides an opportunity for filmmakers to find colleagues, sponsors, and other collaborations. In addition, the event at this festival also holds discussion programs and question and answer sessions with filmmakers and professionals in the film industry.
The main film screenings held at this festival are films originating from Southeast Asia. With screenings that are open to the public and free of charge, this film festival is able to attract more than a thousand local and international viewers. As well as increasing enthusiasm for Southeast Asian films, this cinema celebration also provides an opportunity for Laos to showcase its culture on the big screen. It is also an opportunity for Lao people to watch films they may not be able to access.
Laos has only two cinemas in the country, and the Lao film industry produces less than five films per year, most of which are on very limited budgets. Thus, the existence of this annual film festival provides an opportunity for people to go to the cinema. Not surprisingly, the enthusiasm for this event is so high. Not only the local community, but foreign tourists and professionals in this field also attend this festival. With events open to the public, this celebration of cinema provides greater interaction between ordinary people and professionals in the film industry.
This festival had stopped being held offline due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After going online in 2020 and being canceled in 2021, the festival is finally being held offline on December 8-11, 2022. Since Laos opened its borders in May 2022, the festival is being held again with the support of the government and private sponsors. The festival, which was initiated in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism of Luang Prabang, will last for four days and present more than 20 films exclusively from Southeast Asia. For this year, there is a movement to hold this festival back. For those of you who are looking for year-end holiday references, Laos and the Blue Chair Film Festival can be interesting choices for you. How exciting is the implementation of the Blue Chair festival this year? Let's look forward to it!
