Aditya Assarat
Encyclopedia
Aditya Assarat is a Thai
independent
film director
, screenwriter
, producer
and cinematographer
.
. He left Thailand
at the age of 15 to be educated in the United States
. He studied history at New York University
, and it was during that time that he became interested in filmmaking. He went on to earn a master's degree in film production from the University of Southern California
School of Cinematic Arts
in 2000.
His graduate thesis film, the 15-minute short, Motorcycle was about a father grieving over the loss of his son in a motorcycle
wreck. It was screened at dozens of film festival
s, including the Chicago International Film Festival
, where it won a Gold Hugo award, the San Francisco International Film Festival
, where it won a Golden Gate Award, Aspen Shortsfest, where it was named best short film, and the Shorts International Film Festival in New York City
, where it was also named best short film. It also won the R. D. Pestonji Award at the 2000 Thai Short Film and Video Festival
and the Vision of Life Award at the 2000 Bangkok Film Festival.
Other short films followed, including 705 Sukumvit 55 in 2002 and Waiting, a 25-minute short made in 2003. Waiting was screened at more than a dozen festivals, including the Thai Short Film and Video Festival, where it won a special merit award, the Barcelona Asian Pacific Short Film Festival, where it won best short, and the Torino Film Festival
where it won the Cinemavvenire Award for Best Short Film.
In 2002, Aditya directed Pru Raw Velvet: A Concert Documentary, for the Thai rock
band Pru
, working with a childhood friend, Kamol "Suki" Sukosol Clapp, a member of the band. The 120-minute feature was screened on both Channel V Thailand
and MTV Thailand
.
, and was invited to take part in the Pusan Promotional Plan
. In 2004, he, was chosen for the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, selected by Indian filmmaker Mira Nair
. He met with Nair periodically as she worked on her adaptation of Vanity Fair
. The Rolex program provided him with a US$25,000 stipend. Aditya also participated in the Annenberg Film Fellows Program at the Sundance Institute
that same year.
During the year, Aditya helped develop an experimental feature film, 3 Friends (Ma-Mee), which had a limited release, including a screenings at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival
, where it premiered, and the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival
. He co-directed the film with Mingmongkol Sonakul
and Pumin Chinaradee. It starred actress Napakpapha Nakprasitte
, playing herself, in a film that was part documentary, part parody of the reality television
phenomenon.
One of the company's works is Dreamchaser, a Thai reality television series. For the first season, shown in 2006, documented a cross motorcycle journey around Thailand by Aditya's friend, musician Suki Sukosol Clapp of Pru
. The second season, set for 2007-08, is to feature Suki travelling with actor Ananda Everingham
in Laos
, Cambodia
and Vietnam
.
Also in 2006, Aditya was working on his first feature-length drama film, Wonderful Town
. Set in post-tsunami
Phuket Province
, Aditya secured funding from Singha Beer and Rolex
. Shooting was completed in December 2006. More money was needed for post-production
work, funds were provided by the Thailand Ministry of Culture's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture. Wonderful Town premiered at the 2007 Pusan International Film Festival
. It won the festivals top prize, the New Currents Award and a US$90,000 prize, which he split evenly with two other filmmakers who also won the award, Malaysian director Liew Seng Tat
, who won for his film Flower in the Pocket
, and Guang Hao-jin of China, for his film Life Track.
Aditya said he would use his prize money to transfer his digital-format footage to 35-millimeter, and he hoped it would have a limited screening in Bangkok sometime in 2008. Additionally, Wonderful Town competed at the 2008 International Film Festival Rotterdam
, and was to be shown in the Forum program at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival
.
"It wouldn't have worked. It was too far removed from my filmmaking style. But if the studio is willing to make the film with me, in my own style, it's worth trying. It would be difficult, though. There's not much of a market for alternative films here [in Thailand]," he said in a 2007 interview.
Having been educated outside Thailand for many years, Aditya says he feels more comfortable writing his scripts in English language
, which then must be translated
into Thai language.
"It's the one real dilemma in my filmmaking. I haven't yet really worked through it," he said in a 2007 interview. "But it's annoying as it slows everything down. What I want to say on film still has to go through someone else. I'll try to solve the problem in my next film by making my main character more like me - a Thai who's grown up overseas and speaks English for half the story."
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
.
Early career
Aditya Assarat was born in BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. He left Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
at the age of 15 to be educated in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He studied history at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and it was during that time that he became interested in filmmaking. He went on to earn a master's degree in film production from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
in 2000.
His graduate thesis film, the 15-minute short, Motorcycle was about a father grieving over the loss of his son in a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
wreck. It was screened at dozens of film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s, including the Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
, where it won a Gold Hugo award, the San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
, where it won a Golden Gate Award, Aspen Shortsfest, where it was named best short film, and the Shorts International Film Festival in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where it was also named best short film. It also won the R. D. Pestonji Award at the 2000 Thai Short Film and Video Festival
Thai Short Film and Video Festival
The Thai Short Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival held in Bangkok, Thailand, devoted to short film, student film, animation, experimental film and documentary films.Established in 1997, it is organised by the Thai Film Foundation....
and the Vision of Life Award at the 2000 Bangkok Film Festival.
Other short films followed, including 705 Sukumvit 55 in 2002 and Waiting, a 25-minute short made in 2003. Waiting was screened at more than a dozen festivals, including the Thai Short Film and Video Festival, where it won a special merit award, the Barcelona Asian Pacific Short Film Festival, where it won best short, and the Torino Film Festival
Torino Film Festival
The Torino Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival...
where it won the Cinemavvenire Award for Best Short Film.
In 2002, Aditya directed Pru Raw Velvet: A Concert Documentary, for the Thai rock
Thai rock
Thai rock is a genre of rock music from Thailand. The music genre of rock emerged in the 1980s in Thailand and became widely popular in the 1990s. The sub-genre of string and pop rock began to flourish in the 1980s with bands like Asanee-Wasan and Micro...
band Pru
Pru (Thai band)
Pru is a Thai pop band that formed in 2001 in Bangkok. It was the winner of the favorite artist for Thailand at the 2002 MTV Asia Awards.-Members:* Krissada Sukosol Clapp - Vocals...
, working with a childhood friend, Kamol "Suki" Sukosol Clapp, a member of the band. The 120-minute feature was screened on both Channel V Thailand
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
and MTV Thailand
MTV Thailand
MTV Thailand is a 24-hour music and entertainment channel owned by MTV Networks Asia Pacific, a division of Viacom. This channel broadcasts both Thai and International music programs as well as a youth lifestyle T.V...
.
Protege, 3 Friends
In 2003, Aditya won the Hubert Bals Award at the International Film Festival RotterdamInternational Film Festival Rotterdam
The International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno...
, and was invited to take part in the Pusan Promotional Plan
Pusan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
. In 2004, he, was chosen for the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, selected by Indian filmmaker Mira Nair
Mira Nair
Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! , won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination...
. He met with Nair periodically as she worked on her adaptation of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (2004 film)
Vanity Fair is a 2004 British-American costume drama film directed by Mira Nair and adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name...
. The Rolex program provided him with a US$25,000 stipend. Aditya also participated in the Annenberg Film Fellows Program at the Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 that actively advances the work of filmmakers and storytellers worldwide...
that same year.
During the year, Aditya helped develop an experimental feature film, 3 Friends (Ma-Mee), which had a limited release, including a screenings at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival
2005 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2005 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 8–17 and screened 335 films from 52 countries - 109 of these films were world premieres, and 78 were North American premieres.- Awards:Awards presented during the film festival included:...
, where it premiered, and the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival
2006 Bangkok International Film Festival
The 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from February 17 to February 27. The festival's events were held in the newly opened Siam Paragon, the first time all the festival's screenings, sidebar events, activities and film market were gathered under one roof.The festival opened with the...
. He co-directed the film with Mingmongkol Sonakul
Mingmongkol Sonakul
Mom Luang Mingmongkol Sonakul is a Thai film producer and independent film director. As the head of her own production company, Dedicate Ltd., she has produced films by Apichatpong Weerasethakul ; Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, including Invisible Waves; Pimpaka Towira's One Night Husband and The Tin Mine by...
and Pumin Chinaradee. It starred actress Napakpapha Nakprasitte
Napakpapha Nakprasitte
Napakpapha Nakprasitte is a Thai film actress. She is sometimes credited as Napakapa Nakprasit....
, playing herself, in a film that was part documentary, part parody of the reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
phenomenon.
Pop Pictures, Wonderful Town
In 2006, Aditya and friends Soros Sukhum and Jetnipith Teerakulchanyut formed their own production company, Pop Pictures, making television commercials, music videos, TV programs and films.One of the company's works is Dreamchaser, a Thai reality television series. For the first season, shown in 2006, documented a cross motorcycle journey around Thailand by Aditya's friend, musician Suki Sukosol Clapp of Pru
Pru (Thai band)
Pru is a Thai pop band that formed in 2001 in Bangkok. It was the winner of the favorite artist for Thailand at the 2002 MTV Asia Awards.-Members:* Krissada Sukosol Clapp - Vocals...
. The second season, set for 2007-08, is to feature Suki travelling with actor Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham is a Laotian-Australian film actor who was born in Thailand. Working primarily in Thai films, he is best known for his lead role in the 2004 horror film, Shutter.-Biography:...
in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
Also in 2006, Aditya was working on his first feature-length drama film, Wonderful Town
Wonderful Town (film)
Wonderful Town is a 2007 Thai film written and directed by Aditya Assarat.Set in post-tsunami Phuket Province, Aditya secured funding from Singha Beer and Rolex. Shooting was completed in December 2006. More money was needed for post-production work, funds were provided by the Thailand Ministry of...
. Set in post-tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
Phuket Province
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
, Aditya secured funding from Singha Beer and Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
. Shooting was completed in December 2006. More money was needed for post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
work, funds were provided by the Thailand Ministry of Culture's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture. Wonderful Town premiered at the 2007 Pusan International Film Festival
Pusan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
. It won the festivals top prize, the New Currents Award and a US$90,000 prize, which he split evenly with two other filmmakers who also won the award, Malaysian director Liew Seng Tat
Liew Seng Tat
Liew Seng Tat is a Malaysian filmmaker based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.- Early life :Liew Seng Tat was born in an area of Kuala Lumpur called Jinjang. He graduated from the Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, majoring in 3D animation.-Film career:Seng Tat has been actively involved in the...
, who won for his film Flower in the Pocket
Flower in the Pocket
Flower In The Pocket is a 2007 Malaysian film by Liew Seng Tat. It is produced by Da Huang Pictures, and is in the Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay languages.-Plot:...
, and Guang Hao-jin of China, for his film Life Track.
Aditya said he would use his prize money to transfer his digital-format footage to 35-millimeter, and he hoped it would have a limited screening in Bangkok sometime in 2008. Additionally, Wonderful Town competed at the 2008 International Film Festival Rotterdam
International Film Festival Rotterdam
The International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno...
, and was to be shown in the Forum program at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
.
Hi-So
Hi-So was screened at the Berlinale 2011 Film Festival. In an interview, Aditya explains that Hi-So was originally the first film he worked on after grad school, but ended up working on and releasing Wonderful Town first. The title Hi-So means "high society" and Aditya expresses that his film focuses on "the opportunities of people who have things and people who don't. And the biggest difference is in your mind. Some people would feel uncomfortable walking into a Prada store, just like some people are uncomfortable walking into a slum. I wanted to talk about the differences that exist in your head."Working methods
Aditya has remained an independent filmmaker, despite an offer to direct a film for a major Thai studio."It wouldn't have worked. It was too far removed from my filmmaking style. But if the studio is willing to make the film with me, in my own style, it's worth trying. It would be difficult, though. There's not much of a market for alternative films here [in Thailand]," he said in a 2007 interview.
Having been educated outside Thailand for many years, Aditya says he feels more comfortable writing his scripts in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, which then must be translated
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
into Thai language.
"It's the one real dilemma in my filmmaking. I haven't yet really worked through it," he said in a 2007 interview. "But it's annoying as it slows everything down. What I want to say on film still has to go through someone else. I'll try to solve the problem in my next film by making my main character more like me - a Thai who's grown up overseas and speaks English for half the story."
External links
- Pop Pictures
- Aditya Assarat at Cinemasia