Anocha Suwichakornpong (, born 1976) is a Thai
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
film director
A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
,
screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
and
producer. She is currently Professor of Film at
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, where she advises thesis students in the MFA Film Program and teaches film directing. She was formerly Visiting Lecturer on Art, Film, and Visual Studies at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
.
She has directed four feature films and over a dozen shorts films. Her films include ''Come Here'' (2021); ''
By the Time It Gets Dark'' (2016); and ''
Mundane History'' (2010).
Her films have been the subject of retrospectives at the
Museum of the Moving Image, New York;
TIFF Cinematheque, Toronto; Cinema Moderne, Montreal; and Olhar De Cinema, Brazil, among others. Her work, informed by the socio-political history of Thailand, has received international critical acclaim and numerous awards.
She is the recipient of the 2019
Prince Claus award for:
In 2020, she was a recipient of the
Silpathorn Award, an honour for living
Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture,
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
* Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
* Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
* Minister for the Arts (Australia)
* Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...
of
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. In 2024, she was selected for the
Creative Capital Award.
As is common in Thai culture, her friends, colleagues and fans often refer to her by her nickname, Mai (maɪ), a common practice in Thai culture.
She currently resides in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, NY and
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
.
Early life
Anocha Suwichakornpong was born in Thailand 1976 to second generation
Chinese immigrants. She spent her early childhood in
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Eastern Thailand, the second-largest city in Chonburi province and the List of municipalities in Thailand, eighth-largest city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, and h ...
before moving to
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
at the age of fourteen. After completing undergraduate studies in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, she received an M.A. from
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded in 1965 as part of ...
in
Arts Education and Cultural Studies. In 2006, she graduated she graduated from the
MFA film program at
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, where she was a recipient of
Hollywood Foreign Press Association Fellowship.
Career
Anocha's thesis film from
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, ''
Graceland'' (2006), premiered at
59th Cannes Film Festival. It the first Thai short to be selected at
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
. It was also featured at the
2007 Sundance Film Festival and many other festivals. During the production of
Graceland, Anocha began working with her long-term collaborators, cinematographer
Leung Ming Kai and editor
Lee Chatametikool. The same year, she was selected to participate in the
Talent Campus at
Berlin Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...
, where her feature-length script was among the 15 projects chosen to take part in the Script Clinic.
She co-founded her production company,
Electric Eel Films, in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
in 2006. In 2017, she co-founded
Purin Pictures, a film fund that supports independent cinema in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
, offering much needed assistance in a region that lacks adequate governmental support.
She is the first filmmaker in
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
's MFA Film Program to receive tenure-track since
Miloš Forman
Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech Americans, Czech-American film film director, director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the Uni ...
in 1978.
Mundane History (2006)
Anocha's debut feature, ''
Mundane History'' (''Jao nok krajok'', เจ้านกกระจอก), is a family drama about the friendship that develops between a young, paralyzed man from a wealthy
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
family and his male nurse from
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...
in the north of Thailand. The film is also a commentary on Thailand's
class-based society and the frailty of life.
It was screened at several festivals, and won the Tiger Award at the 2010
International Film Festival Rotterdam
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focused on independent and experimental films. The inaugural festival took place in June 1972, ...
.
By The Time It Gets Dark (2016)
In 2010, Anocha was planning her second feature, ''
By the Time It Gets Dark'', the script of which won her the
Prince Claus Fund Film Grant of €15,000 from the CineMart of the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
The film was released in 2016. It won the
Thailand National Film Association Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, making her the firsts female director to be awarded. The film was selected as the Thai entry for
Best Foreign Language Film at the
90th Academy Awards.
Come Here (2021)
Premiered at
Berlinale
The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...
Forum 2021.
Other works
She has directed over a dozen shorts and video installations and is the co-director of ''
Krabi, 2562'' (2019) with British artist
Ben Rivers
Ben Rivers (born 1972) is an artist and experimental filmmaker based in London, England. His work has been screened at film festivals and galleries around the world and have won numerous awards. Rivers' work ranges in themes, including exploring ...
.
Filmography
Features
Shorts
References
External links
*
Electric Eel Films official websitePurin Pictures
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suwichakornpong, Anocha
1976 births
Living people
Columbia University School of the Arts alumni
Anocha Suwichakornpong
Anocha Suwichakornpong
Anocha Suwichakornpong
Anocha Suwichakornpong
Anocha Suwichakornpong
Anocha Suwichakornpong