Thailand's "Pee Mak" tripled the local box office record,
Philippine cinema came to the fore, and directors working in Singapore and
Cambodia put their countries back on the map.
From a
breakaway box office hit in Bangkok to surprise wins at Cannes, to an
Indonesian social movement inspired by a documentary about genocide, the
fortunes of Southeast Asia's film industries were as wildly diverse as the
region itself in 2013.
Thai studio GTH
smashed the country's box office record with ghost comedy Pee Mak. Iron
Man 3's global domination stretched all the way to Myanmar, where the
country's media and entertainment sectors continue to make gains after decades
of military rule. Indonesia's monopolistic cinema sector prepared for a major
shakeup, while Philippine cinema had a banner year, with more international
exposure and interest than in any period in recent memory. And Cambodia's Rithy
Pahn did his emerging country proud, winning the Prix Un Certain
Regard at Cannes and being honored as the Busan Film Festival's Asian Filmmaker
of the Year.
Here is
a closer look at some of the big film industry stories of 2013 in
Southeast Asia:
Pee Mak Triples Thai Box Office Record
Thai director Banjong Pisanthanaku's Pee Mak Phra Khanong, a rom-com take on a well-known local folk story,redefined the scale of Thailand's movie market in 2013. The film pulled in $35 million, more than tripling the $11 million gross of prior box office champ, The Legend of Suriyothai (Transformers 3, Hollywood's most successful film ever in Thailand with $10.2 million, is the all-time number three). GTH, the local studio behind Pee Mak and a string of other youth-oriented hits, then announced that it has begun setting its sights on an even bigger moving target. In August, GTH revealed a partnership with Hong Kong hitmaker Stephen Chow to co-develop the first Thailand-China co-production for the China market.
Thai director Banjong Pisanthanaku's Pee Mak Phra Khanong, a rom-com take on a well-known local folk story,redefined the scale of Thailand's movie market in 2013. The film pulled in $35 million, more than tripling the $11 million gross of prior box office champ, The Legend of Suriyothai (Transformers 3, Hollywood's most successful film ever in Thailand with $10.2 million, is the all-time number three). GTH, the local studio behind Pee Mak and a string of other youth-oriented hits, then announced that it has begun setting its sights on an even bigger moving target. In August, GTH revealed a partnership with Hong Kong hitmaker Stephen Chow to co-develop the first Thailand-China co-production for the China market.
Lost, Then Found,
in Thailand
While the first
co-production is still forthcoming, Thailand began feeling the impact of the
Chinese industry's rise in 2013. Hit Chinese road comedy Lost in
Thailand ($206 million), shot in northern Thailand and released in
China at the end of 2012, inspired waves of Chinese tourists to descend on
Thailand in 2013, as they looked to retrace the film's steps in Chiang Mai and
have their own exotic Thai adventure. Early in the year, the president of the
Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, said the number of Chinese tourists in
the region had ballooned, with the area's estimated 40,000 hotel rooms
averaging 80 to 90 percent occupancy. Meanwhile, a local research group
estimated that travel related business stemming from Chinese tourism will log a
44.4 percent increase once the numbers are in for 2013.
Thailand's
Tourism Department sought to further emphasize the national benefit of foreign
shoots by hosting a new festival solely dedicated to promoting the
country's history as a destination and setting for international films.
And late in the
year, the local industry was given a brief scare when a fire broke out on the set of the latest Hollywood title to shoot
in Thailand, The Coup, starring Owen Wilson and Pierce
(hollywoodreporter.com)