Independent film directors Manit Sriwanitchaphum and Apichartpong Weerasetthakul have posted an open letter on Facebook to oppose the Ministry of Culture’s allocation of half of the 200-million-baht budget to support movie and video production under the government’s Thai Khemkhaeng Project 2012 to Mom Chao Chatrichalerm Yukol’s ‘The Legend of King Naresuan’ parts 3 and 4.

Out of 295 film projects which were submitted for consideration to the Ministry’s Office of Contemporary Arts and Culture, 49 have been approved, with parts 3 and 4 of ‘The Legend of King Naresuan’ receiving half the total budget.

The allocation of 100 million baht was not fair to the 246 projects which were not approved.  The King Naresuan movies are also expected to receive 330 million baht support from the Ministry of Commerce, the letter says.

The letter criticizes the Ministry’s project screening committee as partial, biased and unfair, as it appears that a certain private film production company has received a large amount of financial support for its various movie projects. 

The letter asks the Minister to suspend proceedings, and revise the whole procedure to ensure fairness to all sides.

After the letter was faxed to the Ministry, Minister Theera Salakpetch made an appointment with the film directors on 4 May at the Ministry.  The directors have invited those who have signed the letter on Facebook to participate in the meeting.

The letter will also be sent to PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, as Chair of the National Committee on Films and Videos.  

According to Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Aphinan Posayanon, 100 million baht was allocated to the King Naresuan movies because Abhisit Vejjajiva has supported these movies from the beginning.  And the movies’ content promotes Thai history, which is in line with the objective of the Ministry of wanting to promote love and unity in the nation.