Jira Maligool (Thai จิระ มะลิกุล, born 1961) is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. He's directed two films, Mekhong Full Moon Party and The Tin Mine, and was the screenwriter behind the international hit, The Iron Ladies.

Biography[link]

Early career[link]

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. In 2003, it was merged with GMM Grammy's film division and Tai Entertainment to form GMM Tai Hub (or GTH).

First features[link]

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. That 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, M.A.I.D. and 2006's Metrosexual.

Jira made his directorial debut in 2002 with Mekhong Full Moon Party, which took a semi-documentary look at the phenomenon of Naga fireballs that arise from the Mekong at Nong Khai on the full moon in October. The film was well received critically, and was a box-office hit as well. He said he was inspired to make the film after reading a magazine article that featured a debate about the fireballs, with a university instructor believing the fireballs were manmade while a physician thought they were a supernatural phenonmenon.

Hit producer[link]

He also was behind the hit 2003 film, Fan Chan (My Girl), a nostaglic look at childhood in 1980s Thailand. The film's ensemble of six directors - Komgrit Treewimol, Songyos Sugmakanan, Nithiwat Tharathorn, Vijja Kojew, Vithaya Thongyuyong and Adisorn Tresirikasem - were students of Jira, who taught as a part-time professor in photography and cinematography classes at Chulalongkorn University. Two of those directors, Komgrit and Songyos, went on to direct hit films, Komgrit helming the romantic comedy Dear Dakanda in 2005 and Songyos with the 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 Archin Panjabhan, 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[link]

Director[link]

• Mekhong Full Moon Party (2002)
• The Tin Mine (Maha'lai muang rae) (2005)

Producer[link]

• Fan Chan (My Girl) (2003)
• The Iron Ladies 2 (Satree lek 2) (2003)
• Jaew M.A.I.D.: Mission Almost Impossible Done (2004)
• The Tin Mine (Maha'lai muang rae) (2005)
• Dear Dakanda (Peun sanit) (2005)
• Dek hor (Dorm) (2006)

Screenwriter[link]

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

Cinematographer[link]

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

Awards and nominations[link]

• 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 Bangkok Critic Assembly, The Tin Mine.

References[link]

• 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[link]

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