PATTAYA: The city of Pattaya is calling on movie enthusiasts, content creators, students, and young people to immerse themselves in a full cinematic experience at the Pattaya International Film Festival 2026. The nine-day event runs from August 22 to 30, 2026, and features free film screenings, animation workshops, master classes, panel discussions, a film exhibition, a short film competition, and red-carpet events.
Organizers encourage attendees to download the PEEP app to register for free movie screenings, which begin daily from 1:30 p.m. at SF Cinema Terminal 21 Pattaya and SF Cinema Central Marina Outlet. It’s noted that most of the movies will be presented in the Thai language.
Highlights of the program include:
August 22nd
– 2:00 p.m., SF Cinema Terminal 21 Pattaya: Thai thriller-drama Friends of Secrets (เพื่อนรัก เพื่อนลับ) and Thai romantic comedy Naga Loves So Much (นาครักมากม๊ากมาก), a fresh take on the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong.
August 24th
– 2:00 p.m., SF Cinema Terminal 21 Pattaya: Thai comedy-horror Hor Taew Tak: Haek Lee Hu (หอแต๋วแตก แหกหลีหู).
– 1:00 p.m., Sabai Sabana Hotel: Animation workshop “The Amazing of Animation World” by Thai animator, director, and character creator Arut Tantasirin (Team Warbie).
August 25th
– 2:00 p.m., SF Cinema Terminal 21 Pattaya: Greenland 2: Migration
– 1:00 p.m., Sabai Sabana Hotel: Repeat of the animation workshop by Arut Tantasirin.
August 26th
– 2:00 p.m., SF Cinema Terminal 21 Pattaya: Romantic drama Her in Frame
– 1:00 p.m., Sabai Sabana Hotel: “The Director Cut” session with Vanessa Marzaroli on “Amazing Thailand × Lisa.”
August 27th
– 2:00 p.m., SF Cinema Terminal 21 Pattaya: Thai action-comedy Oversized… Smash the Belly (โอเวอร์ไซส์..ทลายพุง).
– From 10:00 a.m., SFX Cinema Central Pattaya: 4th Pattaya Short Film Competition screenings.
– 1:00 p.m., Sabai Sabana Hotel: Exclusive Filmmaker Panel Talk featuring director Vanessa Marzaroli and guests.
– 2:00–6:00 p.m., Moon Whale, Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya: Master class “Sake” by Japan Ambassador Toshio Ueno.
August 28th
– 11:00 a.m., SF Cinema Terminal 21 Pattaya: Thai-Lao co-production My Teacher (ครูของข้อย), based on creative research.
– 2:00 p.m.: Thai fantasy-thriller Nakee 2 (นาคี ภาค 2).
– 2:00 p.m., Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya: Storytelling workshop “Telling Stories: Fundamentals of Narrative for Film.”
– 5:00 p.m., Colosseum Show Pattaya: Red Carpet and opening ceremony of the Pattaya International Film Festival 2026.
– 6:00 p.m., Central Pattaya Beach: Creative city market featuring contemporary arts, culture, and food from the Chonburi Provincial Cultural Office.
August 29–30
Multiple venues will host master classes on powerful visual storytelling and “From Script to Screen,” panel discussions on “Crafting Cinematic Stories” and “The Future of Storytelling: AI, Creator Economy and New Directions in the Film Industry,” and the film exhibition “One Scene, Many Waves.”
Additional activities include AI motion-graphics workshops, further storytelling sessions, Movie on the Beach screenings of finalist short films, the short film Remember Love, Forget Us (จำฮัก ลืมเฮา) by Arambhab Film (runner-up at the 9th Cannes International Short Film Festival), the 2025 Thai horror Our House (ข้างบ้าน) directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri, behind-the-scenes showcases, and film production promotion events.
The festival closes on August 30 with a red-carpet awards ceremony for the Pattaya International Youth Film Festival 2026 at Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya.
Whether you are a film buff, creator, artist, or simply curious, organizers urge visitors to mark their calendars for August 22–30 and experience cinema beyond the screen across Pattaya.
News by Natthacha Traiphiphat
Photos by Aksorn Uparitee
Public Relations Division, Tourism and Sports Office
