Bangjong Pisanthanakun ( th, บรรจง ปิสัญธนะกูล) is a Thai

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. 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 Parkpoom Wongpoom ( th, ภาคภูมิ วงศ์ภูมิ) (born 1978) is a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. With Banjong Pisanthanakun, he co-directed and co-wrote the hit 2004 Thai horror film, '' Shutter'', and the 2007 horror film ...

. He also directed the 2013 comedy horror romance film ''

Pee Mak ''Pee Mak'' ( th, พี่มาก..พระโขนง; ) is a 2013 Thai supernatural romantic comedy- horror film directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun. The story is an adaptation of the Mae Nak Phra Khanong legend of Thai folklore. It was re ...

'', 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 "Hello Stranger" is a 1963 hit single by Barbara Lewis, which spent two weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart in ''Billboard'', crossing over to #3 on the pop chart. Original version "Hello Stranger" was written by Barbara Lewis herself, ...

'' (2010) and '' One Day'' (2016).

Education and early career

Bangjong Pisanthankun graduated in 1999 from

Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn University (CU, th, จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย, ), nicknamed Chula ( th, จุฬาฯ), is a public and autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally fo ...

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 estima ...

, 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 many film festivals, including the

Thai Short Film and Video Festival The Thai Short Film and Video Festival ( th, เทศกาลภาพยนตร์สั้น) is an annual film festival held in Bangkok, Thailand, devoted to short film, student film, animation, experimental film and documentary films. Es ...

, the Asian Film Symposium, Raindance, Asiexpo in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Toronto Reel Asian Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...

Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurated ...

and the

San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival CAAMFest, known prior to 2013 as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), is presented every March in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States as the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asia ...

. 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'', was co-directed and co-written with

. With a story about ghost images in photographs and a haunted photographer (portrayed by

Ananda Everingham Ananda Everingham ( th, อนันดา เอเวอริงแฮม; born 31 May 1982) is a Thai actor and model. Working primarily in Thai films, he is best known for his lead role in the 2004 horror film, '' Shutter''. Biography Ana ...

), the film was the biggest box-office hit in Thailand that year, and was 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 A ...

, where it was in competition for Best ASEAN Film. ''Alone'' has been remade in two other languages. Bangjong's 2013 film ''

'' 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 ''4bia'', or ''Phobia'' ( th, สี่แพร่ง; ; lit. 'Crossroads') is a 2008 Thai horror anthology film directed by Youngyooth Thongkonthun, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom, and Paween Purijitpanya. Plot ;''Loneliness'' (Thai ...

'' (segment: "The Man In The Middle") (2008) * ''

Phobia 2 ''Phobia 2'' ( th, ห้าแพร่ง; ; lit. "Five Crossroads") is a 2009 Thai anthology horror film consisting of five shorts: "Novice" directed by Paween Purijitpanya, "Ward" by Visute Poolvoralaks, "Backpackers" by Songyos Sugmakanan, "S ...

'' (segment: "In the End") (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * ''

The ABCs of Death ''The ABCs of Death'' is a 2012 American comedy horror anthology film produced by international producers and directed by filmmakers from around the world. The film contains 26 shorts, each by different directors spanning fifteen countries, incl ...

'' (segment: "N is for Nuptials") (2012) * ''

'' (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. The opera's first profes ...

'' (2021)

Short films

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

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pisanthanakun, Banjong Living people

Banjong Pisanthanakun Bangjong Pisanthanakun ( th, บรรจง ปิสัญธนะกูล) 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), ...

Horror film directors 1979 births