Bangjong Pisanthanakun () is a Thai

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

and

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 ...

. He saw early success with his first two films, '' Shutter'' (2004) and '' Alone'' (2007), both horror films that he co-directed and co-wrote with Parkpoom Wongpoom. He also directed the 2013 comedy-horror romance film '' Pee Mak'', which became Thailand's highest-grossing film of all time, and the 2021 horror film ''The Medium'', which was a commercial and critical success in South Korea. In addition to horror films, Bangjong directed the romance films '' Hello Stranger'' (2010) and '' One Day'' (2016).

Education and early career

Bangjong Pisanthankun graduated in 1999 from

Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn University (CU; ; , ) is a public university, public Autonomous university, autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally founded during King Chulalongkorn's reign as a school for training ro ...

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 ...

, where he majored in film. He directed a short film, ''Plae Kao'', which was a finalist for best picture and best screenplay in the Click Radio comedy short film competition in 2000. He then wrote and directed ''Colorblind'', a short film that has been screened at the Thai Short Film and Video Festival, the Asian Film Symposium, Raindance, Asiexpo in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Toronto Reel Asian,

Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, formerly known as Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Inaugurated in 1997, the fe ...

and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. He has worked as a film critic for ''Starpics'', a popular Thai film entertainment magazine, as well as an assistant director for television commercials.

Feature films

Bangjong's first feature film, '' Shutter'', with a story about ghost images in photographs and a haunted photographer (portrayed by Ananda Everingham), was the biggest box-office hit in Thailand that year, and also a hit in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brazil. ''Shutter'' has since been remade in three other languages, including the 2008 Hollywood film '' Shutter''. The two teamed up again in 2007 for '' Alone'', which also was a box-office hit and played at many film festivals, including the

2007 Bangkok International Film Festival The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from July 19 to July 29, 2007, at SF Group's SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. The fifth consecutive year for the festival, organizers planned a program of about 100 films, with an emphasis on ...

, where it was in competition for Best ASEAN Film. ''Alone'' has been remade in two other languages. Bangjong's 2013 film '' Pee Mak'' became Thailand's highest grossing film of all time, and was the first Thai film to be screened in every Southeast Asian country. In 2021, he directed ''The Medium'', a co-production between Thailand and South Korea. It was a commercial success in South Korea and received generally positive critical reviews

Filmography

Feature films

* '' Shutter'' (2004) * '' Alone'' (2007) * '' 4bia'' (segment: "The Man In The Middle") (2008) * '' Phobia 2'' (segment: "In the End") (2009) * '' Hello Stranger'' (2010) * '' The ABCs of Death'' (segment: "N is for Nuptials") (2012) * '' Pee Mak'' (2013) * '' One Day'' (2016) * ''

The Medium ''The Medium'' is a short (one-hour-long) two-act dramatic opera with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. Commissioned by the Alice M. Ditson Fund at Columbia University, its first performance was there on 8 May 1946, with Claramae Turner a ...

'' (2021)

Short films

* ''Plao Kao'' (8 minutes, 2000) * ''Colorblind'' (13 minutes, 2002)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pisanthanakun, Banjong Living people

Banjong Pisanthanakun Bangjong Pisanthanakun () is a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. He saw early success with his first two films, ''Shutter (2004 film), Shutter'' (2004) and ''Alone (2007 film), Alone'' (2007), both horror films that he co-directed and co-wrote wit ...

1979 births