Purin Pictures Awards Seven Grants to Southeast Asia Films in Funding Round – Global Bulletin
PURIN PICTURES CASH
Purin Pictures, a non-profit Asian film financier, is to give grants to two Burmese, two Cambodian, two Thai, and one Indonesian project in its latest funding round. “We are excited to support multiple projects from Myanmar and Cambodia, two countries that have less developed film industries than their Southeast Asian neighbors,” said Purin Pictures co-director Anocha Suwichakornpong. Production grants worth $30,000 each go to “The Beer Girl in Yangon,” by Sein Lyan Tun, “Fruit Gathering,” by Aung Phyoe, both debut featuring new voices in Burmese cinema, and “9 Temples to Heaven,” the debut fiction feature of Sompot Chidgasornpongse.
Post-production grants of $35,000 each go to documentaries “Tongue of Water,” by Polen Ly and “Double Jeopardy,” by Phally Ngoeum, both shining a light on the struggle of Cambodian individuals against the larger forces of the state, and documentaries “Monisme ,”by Riar Rizaldi and “Breaking the Cycle,” by Akeaphong Saransate and Thanakrit Duangmaneeporn. The latter two had previously received Purin’s cash at production stage. “Because their subject matter may be less commercial, some films need to rely more on grants,” said Suwichakornpong.
More from Variety
HONG KONG BANS THREE TAIWAN FILMS
Hong Kong authorities have banned three movies from Taiwan – “The Runaways,” “The Three Little Boys,” and “Quarantine Denny” – from screening at local film festivals. The report of their banning first appeared on the BBC’s Chinese language portal. The Hong Kong Government’s Office of Film, Newspapers, and Articles Administration was given new powers of censorship last year and is required to take into account national security considerations. None of the three films touch on sovereignty in Hong Kong, though a Taiwan flag can be seen in one. Many aspects of life in Hong Kong are becoming closely aligned with policies and governance in the Chinese mainland. The Chinese government does not consider democratically run Taiwan to be a separate state. Rather it considers the island to be a rebel province which must be brought to heel, by force if necessary.
The films were set to have played at the Image Without Borders 2022 Film Festival, the Panda International Film Festival, and the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival organized by the Independent Short Film and Video Media Festival.
APPOINTMENTS
Emma Lorenz has joined BBC Studios’ Science Unit as its first creative director, U.K. unscripted. The Science Unit is Led by unit head Andrew Cohen and Nicola Cook, director of development. Lorenz will be responsible for the domestic creative strategy and growing the unit’s U.K. slate in documentaries, formats and returning series. She joined from Wonderhood Studios, where she was deputy creative director, developing and winning commissions including BBC “Three’s Trump in Tweets,” Channel 4’s “Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles” and “Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life” and BBC One’s “The Airport: Back in the Skies.”
***
Nicholas Franklin has been appointed as the new head of production at Rogan Productions, reporting to managing director Soleta Rogan and creative director James Rogan. Franklin joins the team from Passion Pictures. His credits include “David Harewood: Psychosis and Me” (BBC2), “Catching Killers” (Netflix), “Charlie Hebdo: Three Days That Shook Paris” (Channel4/Smithsonian), “Stolen Daughters: Kidnapped by Boko Haram” (HBO, BBC, Arte) and “Locked Up Abroad” (NatGeo).
***
“Slow Horses” and “Heartstopper” production company See-Saw Films has hired Julian Stevens and Moss Barclay as executive producers for TV; Ann Phillips as head of development, film/executive producer, limited TV; and Laura Mazzola as senior business and legal affairs executive.
Barclay joins from Pulse Films, where she led the company’s expansion into scripted film and TV, developing “Gangs of London” for Sky/AMC. Stevens has produced “The Tunnel: Sabotage” for Sky Atlantic and Canal+, “The Missing” season 2 for BBC One and Starz, “Informer” for BBC One and Amazon and Stephen Knight’s reimagining of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for FX and BBC One.
Phillips joins from Ray Pictures, where she was head of development across film and television, developing projects with talent including Rita Kalnejais, Daniel Kaluuya, Kristen Roupenian, Sarah Solemani and Edward Berger. Mazzola joins from Carnival Film & Television where she was responsible for legal and business affairs for scripted television and film. Recent projects included the theatrical feature “Downton Abbey: A New Era” and two seasons of “The Last Kingdom” (Netflix).
COMMISSION
A+E Networks CEE has premiered “The Mystery Of Dacian Gold,” the first local commission on History Channel in Romania, following the company’s strategy to bring more premium local content to the region. Hosted by actor Paul Ipate and globetrotter Simina Cernat, the series starts in Ancient Rome and winds up to peaks and riverbeds around Sarmizegetusa, Romania’s Stonehenge, and the pair of explorers meet with gold prospectors and local experts who immersed themselves in the mysteries of the largest gold deposits in Europe, located in Romania. The show was created and produced by John Florescu and the producers from History Channel are Agnieszka Kubiak and Bartłomiej Major.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
