Stars from across the globe gathered in their dozens to celebrate the opening of the Hua Hin Film Festival at the Intercontinental Hotel last night. Dressed in their finery, Thai celebs including Krystal Vee (The Scorpion King 3, Battle for Redemption) were joined by international names Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Alex Meraz (Twilight saga), writer Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Taken) and massive superstar Ryan Gosling.
Gosling made lots of cute wai gestures and was mobbed by fans at the event.
Set to make Hua Hin the Cannes of Thailand, the glamorous red carpet event will show more than 50 films from 15 countries, and drew over 60 big name stars.
Last night’s opening ceremony featured a dazzling firework display, traditional dancing and a gourmet meal of lightly spiced crab fried rice, green curry and mango and stick rice, to give guests a taste of authentic beachside Thai cuisine. Stars and guests alike were welcomed by festival director Jareuk Kaljareuk, who enthused that the festival could mark a new beginning for tourism in Thailand, following last year’s floods, and stating that the aim for the festival is “for Thailand to become the film hub of the ASEAN region, and to combine the strengths of the member nations to create a strong, united film community.”
After partying the evening away, guests were ushered into cars which took them to Major Cineplex, Market Village, where they watched the Gala premier of It Gets Better, a romance about transsexual love starring Penpak Sirikul. Another highlight of the weekend is Sunday night’s closing film The Lady a biopic of Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, starring Michelle Yeoh.
