Netflix Backs Training Program in Thailand

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Netflix has come on board for the second year to support the Short Film Camp, a film industry training program for professionals from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The SFC is led by Purin Pictures, a film funding body backed by the Purin Foundation.

The event, running for ten days (Dec. 2-12, 2022) in Bangkok, Thailand, will involve 12 teams of directors and producers. The 24 participants will receive mentoring that aims to hone their writing, producing and directing skills. The workshop culminates in a live pitch of their short film projects, where four winners will receive funding and post-production support to produce their short films.

The 12 pairs include six teams are from Thailand, four from Myanmar, two from Cambodia, and one from Laos. Their film projects cover a gamut of topics including family drama, LGBTQ, political repression and the deconstruction of identity.

Last year three projects were funded as a result of the workshop: “My Bee’s Knees,” directed by Tinshine Mont and produced by Christine Flemming; “Blazed Away,” directed by Supamart Boonnil and produced by Ratthathammanoon Supapootorn; and “Dear You,” directed by Muendaw Kamontum and produced by Kataporn Sae-ieb.

“Supporting local creators builds opportunities for underrepresented filmmakers in Southeast Asia and beyond so that they get to tell the stories that they may not have been able to tell,” said Amy Sawitta Lefevre, head of external affairs (APAC) at Netflix.

Netflix last week unveiled its first multi-title film and TV slate from Thailand.

Assarat is an established filmmaker in his own right with writing and directing credits including “Wonderful Town” and a segment of “Ten Years Thailand,” and producing credits including “Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy.” His role at Purin Pictures also sees him providing twice yearly production grants to films from Southeast Asia. He was at the Asian Project Market in Busan last week pitching his own film project “The Thonglor Kids.”

A seminar in Busan involving producers and distributors from Southeast Asia addressed matters including skills shortages, the need to increase production budgets in the region and the uneven support for the industry from governments.

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