Jira Maligool (; ; born 1961) is a Thai

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. He has directed three films, '' Mekhong Full Moon Party'', '' The Tin Mine'' and ''

Seven Something ''Seven Something'' (; ; lit: ''"love 7 years, good 7 times''") is a 2012 Thai Drama Romance Anthology film which separated to three parts, directed by Jira Maligool, Adisorn Trisirikasem and Paween Purikitpanya. The film commemorates the seven ...

'' (part 42.195), and was the screenwriter behind the international hit, '' The Iron Ladies''.

Biography

Early career

Born in

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 1961, Jira graduated in 1983 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 ...

Faculty of Communication Arts, where he majored in film and photography. While still a student, he worked as a music video and movie commercial director. In 1991, he co-founded his own film studio, Hub Ho Hin Bangkok (later working through the subsidiary Hub Ho Hin Films). In 2003, it partnered with

GMM Grammy GMM Grammy Public Company Limited ( or stylized as G"MM' Grammy) is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. Top Grammy artists include Bird Thongchai, Silly Fools, Loso, Tai Orathai, Bie Sukrit, Tata Young, Mos Pa ...

's film division GMM Pictures and Visute Poolvoralaks' company Tai Entertainment to form

GMM Tai Hub GMM Tai Hub or GTH () was a former film studio of the Thai entertainment conglomerate GMM Grammy. It was formed in 2003 by a merger between GMM Pictures, Tai Entertainment, and Hub Ho Hin Film following the box-office success of the childhood ...

(or GTH). In 2016, he became key person for

GDH 559 GDH 559 Co., Ltd. (), doing business as GDH, is a film studio subsidiary of the Thai entertainment conglomerate GMM Grammy. It was founded on 5 January 2016, as a successor to GMM Tai Hub (GTH) — Thailand's most successful film studio of the ...

, a film studio that was the successor to GTH.

First features

Jira started out in feature films as the screenwriter for the

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

film, '' The Iron Ladies'' (''Satree lek''), which was based on a true story about a

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

and

transvestite Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...

(''

katoey ''Kathoey'' or ''katoey'' (, ; , , ; ; , ), commonly translated as ''ladyboys'' in English, is a term used by some people in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, whose identities in English may be best translated as transgender women in some case ...

'') men's

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

team that won the Thailand national championship in 1996. The film went on to be a box-office hit in Thailand and has been a popular feature at international film festivals. It was directed by

Youngyooth Thongkonthun Yongyoot Thongkongtoon (; born February 18, 1967) is a Thai film director, producer, and screenwriter. He made his debut in 2000 with the sports comedy '' The Iron Ladies''. Biography Yongyoot Thongkongtoon graduated from Chulalongkorn Univer ...

, who's gone on to direct a sequel to ''Iron Ladies'' as well as another comedy, '' M.A.I.D.'' and 2006's ''

Metrosexual Metrosexual (a portmanteau of '' metropolitan'' and '' heterosexual'') is a term for a man who is especially meticulous about his personal style, grooming and appearance. It is often used to refer to heterosexual men who are perceived to be 'ef ...

''.

Hit producer

He was also behind the hit 2003 film, ''

Fan Chan ''Fan Chan'' ( Thai: แฟนฉัน, English: ''My Girl'') is a 2003 Thai coming-of-age romance comedy film directed by Vitcha Gojiew, Songyos Sugmakanan, Nithiwat Tharathorn, Witthaya Thongyooyong, Anusorn Trisirikasem, and Komgrit Tri ...

'' (''My Girl''), a nostalgic look at childhood in 1980s' Thailand. The film's ensemble of six directors – Komgrit Treewimol,

Songyos Sugmakanan Songyos Sugmakanan (; ; born 20 August 1973), nicknamed Yong (), is a Thai film director and producer, best known for film and television work done with the studio GMM Tai Hub, GTH/GDH 559, and as CEO of its subsidiary Nadao Bangkok, later Tada E ...

Nithiwat Tharathorn Nithiwat Tharatorn () is a Thai film director. He made his directorial debut alongside five other directors on the 2003 childhood romantic comedy ''Fan Chan'' (2003) and his solo debut with the romantic comedy ''Seasons Change (film), Seasons Ch ...

, Vijja Kojew, Vithaya Thongyuyong and Adisorn Tresirikasem – were students of Jira, who also taught as a part-time professor in photography and cinematography classes at Chulalongkorn University. Two of those directors, Komgrit and Songyos, went on to direct hit films; Komgrit helming's romantic comedy ''

Dear Dakanda Dear(s) or The Dears may refer to: Manga * ''Dear'' (manga), a 2002–2007 Japanese manga series by Cocoa Fujiwara * ''DearS'', a 2002–2005 Japanese manga series by Peach-Pit, and a 2004 anime series and visual novel *''Dear+'', a Japanese man ...

'' in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

and Songyos' hit

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

thriller ''

Dek hor ''Dek hor'' (, also ''Dorm'' or ''My School'') is a 2006 Thai horror-drama film directed by Songyos Sugmakanan. Plot In Thailand, young Ton Chatree (Trairat) is sent to a boarding school by his father to get good grades and does not tell his m ...

'' (''Dorm''). Jira's second directorial effort, '' The Tin Mine'', was a lavish production about a tin mine in southern Thailand in the 1950s. It was based on the short stories of Thai author Archin Panjabhan, who served as an adviser on the production. The film fared poorly at the Thai box office, but it has won several awards and has been featured at international film festivals.

Filmography

Director

* '' Mekhong Full Moon Party'' (2002) * '' The Tin Mine'' (''Maha'lai muang rae'') (2005) * ''

'' (segment: "42.195") (2012) * '' A Gift'' (segment: "New Year Greeting") (2016)

Producer

* ''

'' (''My Girl'') (

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

) * '' The Iron Ladies 2'' (''Satree lek 2'') (2003) * '' Jaew'' '' M.A.I.D.: Mission Almost Impossible Done'' (

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

) * '' The Tin Mine'' (''Maha'lai muang rae'') (

) * ''

'' (''Peun sanit'') (2005) * ''

'' (''Dorm'') (

)

Screenwriter

* '' The Iron Ladies'' (''Satree lek'') (

) * '' Mekhong Full Moon Party'' (

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

) * '' The Tin Mine'' (''Maha'lai muang rae'') (

)

Cinematographer

* '' The Iron Ladies'' (''Satree lek'') (

) * '' The Iron Ladies 2'' (''Satree lek 2'') (

)

Awards and nominations

* Winner,

FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for ''Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique'') is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the wor ...

Prize, 2003

Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is one of Asia's oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies and filmmakers from different countries, and takes place in Hong Kong. HKIFF screens ...

, '' Mekhong Full Moon Party''. * Winner, best director and best screenplay, 2002

Thailand National Film Awards The Suphannahong National Film Awards (, also known as the Thailand National Film Association Awards) is the primary film award of the Thai film industry. It is given annually by the National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Association ...

, ''Mekhong Full Moon Party''. * Thailand's official selection,

Best Foreign Language Film The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

78th Academy Awards The 78th Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time Zone, P ...

, '' The Tin Mine''. * Winner, best picture and best director, 2005

, ''The Tin Mine''. * Winner, best film, 2005 Bangkok Critic Assembly, ''The Tin Mine''.

References

Director profile at MovieSeer

Film catalog at Fortissimo Films
* Chaiyong, Suwitcha (March 10–16, 2006), "Last Word" - First Person: Jira Maligool". ''BK Magazine'', page 34. * Danutra, Pattara. 2003

ThaiLinks.org (retrieved August 31, 2006).

External links

*
Jira Maligool
at th
Thai Film Database

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maligool, Jira 1961 births Living people

Jira Maligool Jira Maligool (; ; born 1961) is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer, producer. He has directed three films, ''Mekhong Full Moon Party'', ''The Tin Mine'' and ''Seven Something'' (part 42.195), and was the screenwriter behind the ...