Kongdej Jaturanrasamee ( th, คงเดช จาตุรันต์รัศมี, born 1972) is a Thai

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. ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and former

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

. His screenplays include '' The Letter'', ''

Tom-Yum-Goong ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' (Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง, ) is a 2005 Thai martial arts action film starring Tony Jaa. The film was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film ''Ong-Bak''. As with ''Ong-Bak'', the fights ...

'', '' Noo Hin: The Movie'' and '' Me ... Myself''. His own films include '' Sayew'' and ''

Midnight My Love ''Midnight My Love'' ( th, เฉิ่ม or ''Cherm'', literally "old-fashioned person") is a 2005 Thai romantic drama film written and directed by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee and starring Petchtai Wongkamlao and Woranut Wongsawan. The film features ...

''.

Biography

Education, early career

Kongdej graduated from the film department at

King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL or KMIT Ladkrabang for short) is a research and educational institution in Thailand. It is situated in Lat Krabang District, Bangkok approximately 30 km east of the city center. The u ...

. He began his career in the late 1990s directing music videos for record label

RS Promotion RS Public Company Limited ( th, บริษัท อาร์เอส จำกัด (มหาชน)) the pioneer and has been the inspiration of Thai entertainment culture since 1982. Today, RS GROUP is categorized in the commerce sector i ...

. He also wrote screenplays for the company's the then-new RS Film, but none were ever produced into films.Rithdee, Kong. January 25, 2008
A fine romance
''Bangkok Post'', Real Time, Page R1; retrieved from cache 2008-01-26 In addition, he also a member of ''Si Tao Thoe'', an

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band that was popular in the mid-90s of the Thai music industry.

''Sayew'', ''The Letter''

Kongdej made his directorial debut with '' Sayew'', which he co-wrote and co-directed with Kiat Songsanant. A comedy about a

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

ish young woman exploring sex and her sexuality, it won an honorable mention Asian Trade Winds Award at the 2003

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...

. He had also been approached by producer Duangkamol Limcharoen to write the screenplay for the romantic drama, '' The Letter'', a 2004 Thai remake of a 1997 Korean film. The film was a hit, and with the screenplay, Kongdej became a sought-after scriptwriter. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2005

Tony Jaa Tatchakorn Yeerum ( th, ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum ( th, พนม ยีรัมย์, ); born 5 February 1976), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom ( th, จา � ...

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...

, ''

''.

''Midnight My Love''

His first solo directorial effort, 2005's ''

'', was nominated for several

Thailand National Film Association Awards The Suphannahong National Film Awards ( th, รางวัลภาพยนตร์แห่งชาติ สุพรรณหงส์, also known as the Thailand National Film Association Awards) is the primary film award of the Thai film ...

, including best director and best screenplay. It won best director and best script awards from the

Bangkok Critics Assembly The Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards is a film award based in Thailand. It is given by the Bangkok Critics Assembly ( th, ชมรมวิจารณ์บันเทิง, ), an association of professional film critics, to local feature film pr ...

. The romantic comedy-drama starred comedian

Petchtai Wongkamlao Petchtai Wongkamlao, ( th, เพ็ชรทาย วงษ์คำเหลา, , ; born on June 24, 1965, in Yasothon province, Thailand, is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ...

in a dramatic role as a melancholy taxi driver who develops a relationship with a massage parlor worker (

Woranut Wongsawan Woranuch Bhirombhakdi ( th, วรนุช ภิรมย์ภักดี; ), née Wongsawan ( th, วรนุช วงษ์สวรรค์), or usually known by her nickname Nune ( th, นุ่น; ) is a Thai actress in Thai soap ...

). ''Midnight My Love'' was featured at several film festivals, including the

Deauville Asian Film Festival The Deauville Asian Film Festival (the Festival du film asiatique de Deauville) takes place annually in Deauville, France since 1999 and focuses on Asian cinema. A film competition was added to the festival in 2000 and a video competition in 2002. ...

, Cinefan and the

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2006 comic-book adaptation '' Noo Hin: The Movie'' and the 2007 romantic comedy '' Me ... Myself''. His 2008 romantic comedy is ''Kod'' (กอด), about "a three-armed man and a big-bosomed girl."Rithdee, Kong. January 4, 2008
Hope and fear for the coming year
''Bangkok Post'', retrieved via cache 2008-01-07 Other projects include the screenplay for

Nonzee Nimibutr Nonzee Nimibutr ( th, นนทรีย์ นิมิบุตร, ; born in 1962 in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, ''Nang Nak'', he is generally credit ...

's 2008 fantasy, '' Queen of Langkasuka''.

Filmography

References

External links

* * 1972 births Living people

Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Kongdej Jaturanrasamee ( th, คงเดช จาตุรันต์รัศมี, born 1972) is a Thai screenwriter, film director and former musician. His screenplays include ''The Letter (2004 film), The Letter'', ''Tom-Yum-Goong (film), ...

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