Deadline’s From Local to Global series touched down in Cannes where we showcased six Thai producers and directors who introduced their upcoming projects and explained how Thai cinema is crossing borders – both through mainstream distribution and the international festival circuit. The event, held in association with Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion (DCP) and the Thai Film Directors Association, brought together Kasidej Sundarajun, director of Taibaan Studios’ Possessed; Baz Poonpiriya, producer and co-director of GDH 559’s Gohan; Kissada Kamyoung and Sompot Chidgasornpongse, producer and director respectively of Directors Fortnight selection 9 Temples To Heaven; Surawut Tungkarak, producer of Jungka Studios’ God Skin; and Kittitat Nokngam, producer of Transformation Films’ 1 After One.

Five different films – all with very different positioning and ambitions in the international market. God Skin, directed by Paween Purijitpanya and set for release in Thailand on August 27, is a fantasy action film with a twist. Surawut explained that Thailand has not been producing many martial arts action films recently, although that is the genre the country is known for internationally, and decided to resurrect it for a younger audience with a video gaming theme. 

“We’re in an era where the younger generation looks at content differently to our generation, so when we were making this mainstream movie, we wanted to welcome both the old style of action, and at the same time it needs to connect visually and in the storytelling with the younger generation. Gaming is something that Gen Z can really relate to,” Surawat said.  

Producer & Director - Baz Poonpiriya for 'Gohan'

Producer - Kissada Kamyong, for '9 Temples to Heaven'

Producer - Surawut Tungkarak, for 'God Skin'

Director - Kasidej Sundararjun, for 'Possessed'

Producer - Kittitat Nokngam, for 'After One'

GDH’s Gohan, which was a hit in Thailand over the recent Songkran holiday, also has an original concept within the usual conventions of Thai cinema. The story follows a stray dog through three stages of its life – while it’s a puppy, adult and older dog – with each segment directed by a different filmmaker. Poonpiriya, who produced with Vanridee Pongsittisak – and co-directed with Chayanop Boonprakob and Atta Hemwadee – said he doesn’t start out by thinking whether a film is a mainstream or auteur-driven project. 

“We try not to label projects, we just want to tell a story we totally believe in,” said Poonpiriya, who had earlier explained that he wanted to bring attention to the issue of the large number of stray pet animals in Thailand. “We tried to find the right execution to tell this personal story – and the best way to do that is to tell the story all around the world.” 

He also said that, while the story has elements from Japan and Myanmar that the team thought would help it travel, what has actually helped it resonate is the emotion in the film: “The important thing for the audience is not the language or location; it’s the emotion and the connection between the dog and the people it encounters.” GDH has already sold the film to more than 40 territories, and it recently had its premiere at Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, where Poonpiriya said there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 

Kasidej explained how Taibaan Studios’ horror film Possessed, scheduled for Thai release on May 21, also marks a departure for the studio, which is known for storytelling that is deeply rooted in the local culture of the Isaan region in the northeast of Thailand. The company’s previous productions – The Undertaker and The Undertaker 2 – were big hits in Thailand, with the rest of the country curious about the customs of the region, so the studio wanted to expand this concept to international audiences with Possessed.  

“From the start of this project we thought it’s like cooking Thai food – you know Thai food is very spicy, so we wanted to make it a bit less spicy without losing the local flavour,” Kasidej explained. “I’m from Bangkok, not Isaan, so we tried to pick the customs that are easier to understand and make it more accessible for a global audience.” 

Kissada said that 9 Temples To Heaven also has a story  deeply rooted in local Thai customs, but that the approach for an arthouse film set up as international co-production is slightly different. Produced by Kissada through Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Kick The Machine, the film revolves around a family who take their grandmother on tour of nine temples in one day to prolong her life. 

“If you want to travel to international festivals, the sense of the auteur is quite important, so what we’ve tried to do is accommodate the directors’ artistic vision as much as possible,” Kissada said. “But of course we also have co-producers from other countries, and they also shared how we could make this film more relatable.” 

Kissada also explained how he put the film together with co-producers from eight countries over a period of nine years – a process that helped with both the financial and creative aspects, as the co-producers brought government subsidies, and also talented international collaborators including French DoP Jonathan Ricquebourg (The Taste Of Things).

Transformation Films’ horror film 1 After One, about a man trying to save his family by lifting an evil curse, is also a co-production – in this case with Taiwan’s GrX Studio and Lots Home Entertainment. Kittitat explained that Transformation Films was approached by the Taiwanese partners who said they wanted to invest in the film. 

“They wanted to find some new opportunities to get audiences back into the cinema, because Thai films usually perform well in Taiwan, and Taiwanese filmmakers tend to make more arthouse films, so they wanted some fresh ideas for genre filmmaking,” Kittitat said. “We welcomed their investment in the film as we also wanted to explore how they can help us approach international markets.” 

The five producers also talked about the Thai box office market, the Thai government funding available to them, their creative inspirations and some of the biggest challenges they face. Check out the video above for the full conversation.