Jira Maligool

Jira Maligool (Thai: จิระ มะลิกุล; RTGS: Chira Malikun; born 1961) is a Thai film director, screenwriter and 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 international hit, The Iron Ladies.

Biography[]

Early career[]

Born in Thailand in 1961, Jira graduated in 1983 from Chulalongkorn University 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's film division GMM Pictures and ' company Tai Entertainment to form GMM Tai Hub (or GTH). In 2016, he became key person for GDH 559, a film studio that was the successor to GTH.

First features[]

Jira started out in feature films as the screenwriter for the 2000 film, The Iron Ladies (Satree lek), which was based on a true story about a gay and transvestite (katoey) men's volleyball 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, who's gone on to direct a sequel to Iron Ladies as well as another comedy, and 2006's Metrosexual.

Hit producer[]

He was also behind the hit 2003 film, Fan Chan (My Girl), a nostalgic look at childhood in 1980s' Thailand. The film's ensemble of six directors – , Songyos Sugmakanan, Nithiwat Tharathorn, , and – were students of Jira, who also taught as a part-time professor in photography and cinematography classes at Chulalongkorn University. Two of those directors, and , went on to direct hit films; 's romantic comedy in 2005 and ' hit 2006 thriller Dek hor (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 , 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)
• Seven Something (segment: "42.195") (2012)
• A Gift (segment: "New Year Greeting") (2016)

Producer[]

• Fan Chan (My Girl) (2003)
• (Satree lek 2) (2003)
• (2004)
• The Tin Mine (Maha'lai muang rae) (2005)
• (Peun sanit) (2005)
• Dek hor (Dorm) (2006)

Screenwriter[]

• The Iron Ladies (Satree lek) (2000)
• Mekhong Full Moon Party (2002)
• The Tin Mine (Maha'lai muang rae) (2005)

Cinematographer[]

• The Iron Ladies (Satree lek) (2000)
• (Satree lek 2) (2003)

Awards and nominations[]

• Winner, FIPRESCI Prize, 2003 Hong Kong International Film Festival, Mekhong Full Moon Party.
• Winner, best director and best screenplay, 2002 Thailand National Film Awards, Mekhong Full Moon Party.
• Thailand's official selection, Best Foreign Language Film, 78th Academy Awards, The Tin Mine.
• Winner, best picture and best director, 2005 Thailand National Film Awards, The Tin Mine.
• Winner, best film, 2005 , 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. "Jira Malikul: Mekhong Full Moon Party In His Own Words, ThaiLinks.org (retrieved August 31, 2006).

External links[]

• Jira Maligool at IMDb
• Jira Maligool at the Thai Film Database
• Hub Ho Hin
• Profile at GMM Tai Hub

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