In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Thai movie “Fan Chan”—which won the hearts of audiences back in 2003—is being restored in 4K quality and will be screened at Major Cineplex, SF Cinema, and House Samyan on Oct 9, 2023. 

 

Audiences at House Samyan are in luck as there will be an accompanying unreleased documentary, “Remembering Fan Chan,” that will be discussing the film in five chapters.

 

 

English subtitles are available in participating cinemas. For B200 viewers can buy presale tickets at the SF ticket counter that come with a paper event-specific paper dolls for the kids. This promotion only applies to SF theaters in Bangkok and Chiang Mai until October 9 or until merch is sold out. Click here for further details.

 

 

Back in the day, funding a retro movie starring a mostly child cast was uncommon, but it certainly proved to be commercially successful. These were before the days when nostalgia dominated the box office and our streaming services.

 

“Fan Chan” joins the craze for releasing old films in Bangkok’s big cinemas, recently with 1973’s "The Exorcist" and previously with huge hits like “Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” But this big rerelease at major theaters is for Thai cinema fans. 

 

The success and style of "Fan Chan" was unprecedented. Set in a 1980s provincial town, the film is a coming-of-age tale that follows puppy love and friendship between two neighbors. The simplistic format was a cultural and cinematic reset, birthing a new interest in this sub-genre.

 

In fact, it was pretty unusual for domestic films to do well at the box office at all. “Fan Chan” became the highest grossing film of the year, amassing more than B137 million—especially notable considering it hit the cinema on the same day as Pixar’s “Finding Nemo.”

 

 

“Fan Chan” was also the launch pad for the 6 codirectors—Songyos Sugmakanan, Nithiwat Tharatorn, Witthaya Thongyooyong, Komgrit Triwimol, Vijjapat Kojiw, and Adisorn Trisirikasem—each of whom made significant contributions to the Thai entertainment industry since their debut project. The story is also said to be based on one of the director’s personal experiences.

 

In addition, the popularity of this film has led to some recognition beyond our shores, being picked to screen at Berlin International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Taipei Film Festival, and Shanghai International Film Festival where "Fan Chan" won the Best Director (Asian New Talent Award 2004).

 

Adding to its list of accolades, in 2005, ‘Fan Chan’ was included in the “100 Must Watch Thai Film” listed by the Thai Film Archive. In 2014, the same organization selected it as one of the Thai films certified in the Thai National Film Registry.  

 

Fans will be delighted to know that the restored version isn’t the only commemoration for the film. A musical rendition entitled “Fanchan 1.5” will also be open for public viewing at Rachadalai Theater this coming November. Follow this link to book film tickets in advance. 

 

Also available to stream online via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, and True ID.