Thai Filmmakers Go Global: Horror, Action, and a Dog’s Tale Cross Borders
At a Deadline event in Cannes, six Thai producers and directors gathered to discuss how their films are reaching audiences far beyond Thailand. The session, backed by Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion and the Thai Film Directors Association, featured five very different projects—each with its own strategy for international success.
Surawut Tungkarak, producer of the fantasy action film *God Skin*, said Thailand has made few martial arts movies lately, despite that being its best-known genre abroad. The team decided to revive it for a younger crowd by weaving in a video game theme. “Gen Z connects with gaming,” he explained. “We wanted to blend old-school action with visuals and storytelling that feel fresh to them.”
GDH’s *Gohan*, a hit over Thailand’s Songkran holiday, follows a stray dog through puppyhood, adulthood, and old age, with each chapter directed by a different filmmaker. Producer Baz Poonpiriya said the team didn’t label it as mainstream or art-house. “We just wanted to tell a story we believe in,” he said. “The emotion between the dog and the people it meets travels better than any language or setting.” The film has sold to over 40 territories and left audiences in tears at Italy’s Far East Film Festival.
Kasidej Sundarajun, of Taibaan Studios, described *Possessed* as a horror film that tones down the intense local flavor of his studio’s earlier hits, *The Undertaker* films, to appeal globally. “Think of it like cooking Thai food,” he said. “We kept the local taste but made it less spicy for international palates.”
For the arthouse co-production *9 Temples to Heaven*, producer Kissada Kamyoung worked with partners from eight countries over nine years. The film, about a family taking their grandmother to nine temples in one day, benefited from subsidies and a French cinematographer. “Co-producers helped us make the story more relatable without losing the director’s vision,” he said.
Meanwhile, Transformation Films’ horror *1 After One*—about a man lifting a curse to save his family—came together when Taiwanese partners approached the studio. “Thai genre films do well in Taiwan,” said producer Kittitat Nokngam. “They wanted fresh ideas to bring audiences back to cinemas.”
The conversation also touched on Thailand’s box office, government funding, and creative hurdles. The full discussion is available in the video above.