Tokyo competition producers say Southeast Asia’s loosening of regulations on co-productions is benefiting the region’s films. death kitchen, However, it is also a “double-edged sword.”
Speaking at the industry platform TIFFCOM, Thai author Penek Rattananaruan, producer Soros Sukum, and Italian co-producer Stefano Centini discussed balancing the needs of competing countries and the particularities of cash flow in Thailand-Singapore-Taiwan-France-Luxembourg co-productions.
above death kitchenthe specific co-production structure was determined in part by Ratanaluan’s creative needs. The director said there were some non-negotiables, but for elements such as color grading, Sukum was able to pursue options from countries where funding was available.
Managing production cash flow proved to be a major challenge for Skum. “We took some loans, but not from banks or wealthy people,” he said. “If everyone makes their money back, we’ll give you a 5% or 3% premium.” The film’s $1.3 million budget was 50% funded by Thai investors, along with Singapore, Taiwan’s TAICCA, and others.
Centini, whose Volos Films company originates from Taiwan but also has offices in Italy, said the lack of formal financing regulations in Southeast Asia certainly benefits productions in the region. With the loosening of regulations, “for example, it is now possible to participate in co-productions with even a small share,” he said. “In this case, I think either (co-production partner) has less than 10%. In Italy, that cannot be called co-production.”
“Europe, on the other hand, has a much stronger network,” Centini added, citing organizations like YuriImages. “Every country knows the rules of the other country, but in Asia the rules change a lot. We have to explain to international producers that what was true yesterday is not true today.”
Similarly, the lack of clear co-production agreements between Southeast Asian countries is not an impediment, according to panel moderator Lorna Tee, producer of the incubator program and development platform mylab.
“We do a lot of co-production, but not through official channels within Asia,” she said. “It’s mainly through the relationships that the producers have met and built with each other along the way,” she said.
“It’s a double-edged sword in some ways. When[the system]is less rigid, there is flexibility, but at the same time there is confusion and it may not be clear what is expected of[international co-production partners].”
death kitchen This thriller stars Bella Soon-Sang as a talented chef who happens upon a man who used her in the past and plots revenge. The film will make its debut in San Sebastian, screen at AFI Fest, and have its Asian premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
This story originally appeared on Screen’s sister site Screen Global Production.
(Tag translation) Asia
