www.villa-maly.com

2. WHAT'S NEW
The Luang Prabang Film Festival will run from 6-10
Decemberand,likealways,willshowcasebestrecent
films from across Southeast Asia. The most exciting
place to check out films during the event is the
festival’s Night Venue at the Handicraft Market, right
in the centre of town. There, 800 chairs are set up
each year, though the festival regularly welcomes
audiences of over a thousand visitors stopping by to
watch movies under the stars. In addition to feature
film screenings (all subtitled in English), there will be
short films, Q&As with filmmakers, panel discussions
with experts from around the region and beyond,
and several exhibitions on display. And, of course,
for you selfie-lovers out there, there are always many
opportunities to take pictures with the celebrities and
directors in attendance. If you didn’t think it could
get any better, all of the festival’s screenings and
activities are totally free and open to the public. For
more information, visit the festival’s website at www.
lpfilmfest.org, or join 30,000 other followers on their
Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lpfilmfest.
Silver ScreenPOPS
UP IN LUANG PRABANG
Until September 28, downtown Vientiane café
Benoni is displaying a powerful exhibition of
black-and-white photographs from rural parts of
Laos taken by Netherlands-born photographer
Albert Leeflang, who has spent the last eight
years exploring the country by motorcycle. He
has travelled more than 25,000km, mostly off-
road. This method of travel allowed him to reach
more remote places that are often insulated
from the fast-paced economic and touristic
development taking place elsewhere. “LIVE
LAOS” is a collection of 24 photographs from
these road trips, shot with black and white film.
The simple photographs are designed to tell a
story, and the absence of colour intensifies the
grittiness of the work.
RuralLAOS IN BLACK
AND WHITE
Hollywood blockbusters and a special documentary
will be screened in the parking lot of the National
Culture Hall from October 1-5 for American Film
Week. The Luang Prabang Film Festival and the
US Embassy in Vientiane agreed to jointly hold the
event again following its popularity last year. Along
with the free screenings, there will be lectures and
discussions led by film experts throughout the week.
Coca-Cola is sponsoring the event, with 100%
of their donations, as well as those from other
sponsors, going straight into the Lao Filmmakers
Fund. The publicly generated fund allows Lao
filmmakers to apply for grants to help realise their
film projects. A reception will be held on the evening
of October 6 to raise more money for the fund.
Follow the Luang Prabang Film Festival's Facebook
page for schedules and updates.
HOLLYWOOD Block-
bustersCOMING TO
VIENTIANE
Aspiring young fashion designers around Laos are
invited to compete in Fashion Design Contest 2014
for a chance at winning a prestigious six-month
scholarship at the ESMOD School of Fashion in
Paris. The competition was organised following the
great success of Lao Fashion Week 2014, which
took place in Vientiane from March 5-7 earlier this
year. All young Laotians – both men and women –
are invited to submit an entry in keeping with the
design theme ‘Modern Design with Lao Essence’.
Anyone interested can get entry details by emailing
info@laofashionweek.com. The submission deadline
is October 30, and winners will be announced one
month later on November 30.
Young Designers
FIGHT FOR PARIS SCHOL-
ARSHIP
On a misty morning in
mid-October, Luang
Prabang’s daily procession
of barefoot, saffron-clad
monks will cross paths
with a troupe of trainer-
sporting, neon-clad
runners who will hit the
scenic streets of the
UNESCO Heritage Town to raise money for a
new children’s hospital. The Luang Prabang Half-
Marathon‘LaProcession’willtakeplaceonOctober
12, 2014. This year, runners will be lacing up their
sneakers to support the construction of the Lao
Friends Hospital for Children, which aims to provide
high-quality health care for the children of Laos.
One of the race’s sponsoring hotels, Villa Maly, is
welcoming runners in town for the half-marathon
with a special deal over the nights of October 11
and 12, 2014. A 33-room boutique hotel nestled
in a former royal residence just outside the heritage
town, Villa Maly’s Runners’ Package features two
nights’ stay in a superior room with breakfast, pre-
and post-race massages, round-trip airport pickups
and transport to and from the race’s starting line.
Rates for the package start at US$300 per room for
single occupancy and US$438 for double sharing.
For enquires about Villa Maly’s Runners’ Package,
visit www.villa-maly.com or email info@villa-maly.
com. Full details about the race and registration are
available at www.luangprabanghalfmarathon.com.
Villa MalyROLLS
OUT RED CARPET FOR LA
PROCESSION
Popular Lao restaurant Makphet, which trains
disadvantagedyouthincookingandhospitalityskills,
hasreopenedinabrandnewlocationwithevenmore
spacetoaccommodateitsgrowingclientele.Friends
International, the NGO that oversees the restaurant,
announced that Makphet would now be located at
78 Ban Inpeng, Vat Chanh Tha. The trading hours
have also been extended – the restaurant will now
be open seven days a week.
MakphetOPENS IN
NEW LOCATION
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