BANGKOK, 4 February 2014 – In order to reduce a reliance on the large number of documentaries imported into Thailand and to improve and develop the country’s overall documentary production qualities and quantity, support is being given to the film and video industry in the region.
Three major organizations namely the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for the Public Interest (BTFP) and the Foundation for World Exploration joined hands to organize a seminar and have now selected for promotion, seven outstanding documentaries from a total of over 50 documentary works produced and submitted by participants in the program.
NBTC and BTFP Chairman, Air Chief Marshal Thares Punsri said that with the expansion of both Thai television channels and content providers, one of NBTC’s and BTFP’s main roles is to support, promote and propel development and competition in the industry resulting in the consumer getting the benefit, from this Local and Regional Documentary Producers’ development project. The Foundation for World Exploration is one of many projects supported by NBTC and BTFP and since the funding of the program was issued in 2013, today we benefit from many highly creative, quality works produced for the public.
The program was initiated to develop documentary makers in Thailand equivalent to the international level. However most documentaries made in Thailand are being produced by a central production team located in Bangkok. This means not enough local stories are being told by the local people, for their own benefit and the interest of viewers everywhere, who want to see and hear the point of view of people in many situations. Their personal views bring to the story a greater depth of meaning.
This human element is an important area to focus on, in creating documentaries of quantity and interest. The quantity of well-made documentaries is also a major issue due to the increase in the number of TV channels in Thailand causing an upsurge in demand for quality content.
