A Quick Guide To Gmm Tai Hub (GTH) And Thai Cinema In Cannes

The Thai film scene is one that is known in worldwide for its take on martial arts and horror. Among films from the Thai industry that have gone mainstream include the adrenaline-pumped Ong Bak series, camera-based horror Shutter and action film Tom Yam Goong (known internationally as The Protector).

Here in Cannes, their performance has been equally as impressive.

Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul has had three wins at the Festival de Cannes in separate categories. His feature Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was the first Thai film to win the coveted Palme d’Or at the festival in 2010. This year, his latest feature Cemetery of Splendour will be in competition in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival.

While at the Marché du Film, Rahmat Adam of CCAM recommended we have a look at Gmm Tai Hub (GTH), whose films often get picked up by Malaysian distributors. We thought this was a sound idea and visited the GTH booth located on the same floor.

There we met GTH’s international manager, Ornjira Supavakul, who is manning the booth. The space is small but decked with many posters of current and upcoming projects.

GTH is perhaps best known for Pee Mak Phra Khanong, the horror-comedy-romance smash hit which currently holds the record for highest-grossing Thai film of all time.

Pee Mak was a huge success in Malaysia, making over RM2.4 million over its nine-week run. This was a lot more than what most domestic films make in our nation.

However, Ornjira tells us that Malaysian films aren’t very popular across the border.

“The Malaysian films picked up by the Thai are usually arthouse films and it caters to a very niche market,” she informs us.

It seemed like Malaysia is not the only one with this problem. Even Korean films haven’t gained traction over in Thailand despite their performance elsewhere around the world according to Ornjira.

Despite this, she views Malaysia as possessing a competitive film industry where the Southeast Asian region is concerned.

“Indonesia and Malaysia could be considered Thailand’s closest competition,” she adds. “Many Indonesian films are quite good too!”

GTH is here this year to promote I Fine.. Thank You Love You. The film follows the story of a factory worker who tries to learn English so he can go to the US and get his girlfriend back after she dumps him.

Although romantic dramas don’t immediately pop to mind when we think of the Thai film industry, GTH is confident in their selection this year. The top three films they’re promoting this year are all romance-based.

Coming in September is Heart Attack, a romance drama directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit who also directed the critically acclaimed Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy. October will see the teenage romance May Who? that is set to contain some animated elements.

Ornjira doesn’t believe it to be a risky move despite the Thai film industry’s association with the horror genre.

“Although I Fine.. Thank You Love You‘s success doesn’t compare to the international reception we get for horror films, it has performed quite well,” she asserted.

This was of course, an understatement.

It must be mentioned that I Fine.. Thank You Love You was a massive success, holding the record for second-biggest opening day of all-time in Thailand, behind only Ong Bak.

“Let’s not forget that the Thai industry is known for action films – Tom Yam Goong for example,” she reminds us before we left the booth.