Myanmar film ‘Fruit Gathering’ official entry at Bangkok International Film Festival

The Burmese-language feature film Fruit Gathering (Thit-thee Khu), directed by Yangon-based filmmaker Aung Phyoe, will be showcased in competition at the Bangkok International Film Festival in Thailand from Sept. 24-26. “Thit-thee Khu is about two young women who become close while working at a garment factory in present-day Yangon. Broadly speaking, it tells the story of how they grow closer as they navigate the realities of life, their dreams and hopes, before gradually drifting apart,” Aung Phyoe stated on Sept. 19 ahead of the Fruit Gathering screening in Bangkok. Running as part of the festival’s broader Sept. 13–27 lineup, this marks a major regional showcase for the film following its premier international acclaim earlier this year. Aung Phyoe added that he will host a post-screening Q&A session on Sept. 26, alongside key cast members Nandar Myat Aung, Nandar Myint Lwin, and Thida Soe Khant. Set in the industrial outskirts of modern Yangon, his 97-minute romantic film uses an observational, mid-tempo style to follow two young female garment workers—San Kyi (Nandar Myat Aung) and Theint Theint Oo (Nandar Myint Lwin)—as they navigate grueling labor conditions, societal expectations, and a quiet, evolving intimacy. The international festival run for Fruit Gathering follows its historic win on July 11, when it received the Grand Prix – Crystal Globe for Best Film at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) in the Czech Republic. Moving forward, the film is scheduled to screen at the Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada on Oct. 7–8, followed by a First Feature Competition entry at the BFI London Film Festival in the U.K. on Oct. 14–15. Film distributors in both Thailand and Myanmar are currently exploring plans for a commercial theatrical release targeted for 2027. Fruit Gathering is an international co-production between Myanmar, the Czech Republic, and France. The project was spearheaded by producers Thu Thu Shein and Thaiddhi of Yangon-based Third Floor Productions—with Thaiddhi also serving as the director of photography—alongside European co-producers Vít Janeček, Michal Mocňák, and Claire Marquet. The film spent years in development after winning a Jury Award at the Myanmar Script Fund in 2017 and being featured at the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors Co-Production platform in 2020.