Patrick Frater
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Articles by Patrick Frater
Asia's film funding landscape sees post-Covid evolution
It was while sitting through the night in a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant, devouring a screenplay by Anocha Suwichakornpong, that Chayamporn ‘Bench’ Taeratanachai decided to take the plunge and invest in the Asian arthouse films he loved. Using money from his family’s electrical equipment import business, he set up investment firm Cinema 22 in 2016 and soon had the gratification of seeing Anocha’s By The Time It Gets Dark win best picture at Thailand’s National Film Awards.
Asia’s film funding landscape sees post-Covid evolution
Source: Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment ‘Hope’ It was while sitting through the night in a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant, devouring a screenplay by Anocha Suwichakornpong, that Chayamporn ‘Bench’ Taeratanachai decided to take the plunge and invest in the Asian arthouse films he loved.
"We're tired of Hollywood”: Why local films are breaking box office records across Asia
Source: Screen File ‘Death Whisperer 3’ The film industry has experienced new forms of competition, unprecedented cost structures and starkly different audience behaviour since the Covid pandemic. To take box office aggregates from pre-pandemic 2019 as the baseline for comparison of how the business in Asia is performing now risks conjuring a picture of downturn and decay that is not wholly in touch with new realities.
Twin Box Office Disputes Shake Taiwan Film; Jeffrey Chan vs Lee Lieh as Fraud Accusations and Lawyers’ Letters Fly
Veteran film producer and distributor Jeffrey Chan is being accused of fraud and of going into hiding in a high-profile spat fuelled by blockbuster receipts to two of Taiwan’s most successful films of recent times. The row has sparked lurid tabloid-style headlines in Taiwan media and a flurry of competing lawyer’s letters.
Huace epic heads for Thailand’s TrueVisions Now; first landing for lavish mainland Chinese drama, “Swords into Ploughshares”
China’s Huace Group showcased its lavish historical drama, "Swords Into Plowshares", during last week’s ATF, confirming Thailand’s TrueVisions Now as its first overseas client and saying the show would upload to mainland Chinese streaming platforms, including iQiyi, Tencent Video and Mango TV, in the coming weeks. Exact broadcast dates have not been confirmed; True is expected to begin airing the series from January 2026.
Japan’s superpower: manga x anime x gaming
Serial entrepreneur Fujimura Tetsu argues that the width and depth of Japanese IP resources make the country an entertainment industry leader. For the past decade, Korean entertainment has increasingly challenged English-language content for eyeballs, especially within East Asia. Japanese IP may now be emerging as an even larger source of material that is poised to go, not just regional, but global.
Big eyes and US$130 billion hopes: Japan’s global anime industry soars
The global market value of Japanese anime grew by 15% in 2024, to just under US$25 billion, according to data to be published in December 2025 by the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA). That is a punchy figure in a country that is more familiar with deflation and a strong one for a sector that is not new, driven by fashionably new technology or that was previously overlooked.
Acquired tastes: Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang on “Morte Cucina”, working with Japan’s Miike Takashi, and why broken English is the best language
Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang serves amusing confusion in his new film Morte Cucina... and dishes dirt in Tokyo. Veteran Thai film director Pen-ek Ratanaruang is the kind of lovable rogue with whom film festivals love to adorn themselves. Both as examples of their craft (of course), but also in a knowing way that suggests that the festival programmers are in on the joke.
Film execs explore future of co-production between India and South Africa
As Commonwealth countries and members of the BRICS alignment, India and South Africa have plenty in common at the diplomatic level. They have a significant historical overlap too, with Gandhi having lived in and been significantly influenced by his 21 years in Kwazulu Natal. Contact and partnership between the two countries’ present day entertainment industries, however, has been on a back burner.
Film criticism evolving to meet increasingly digital audience, says IFFI panel
Just as filmmaking was upended by the shift from celluloid to digital, film criticism was revolutionised by the change from analogue to digital media. New technology ushered in an era of bloggers, star-ratings and attention-starved audiences and re-wrote the business of writing about films for a living.
Sudhir Mishra readying ‘Gandhi And My Mother’ for 2026 shoot
Source: IMAGO-Hindustan Times EXCLUSIVE: Leading Indian filmmaker Sudhir Mishra is preparing to direct a biographical drama film tentatively titled Gandhi And My Mother, which will be structured as an international co-production. The story focuses on the last six months of the life of Gandhi. These would cover the lawyer-turned-peace campaigner’s journey through the troubled regions of Bengal on his way to the national capital.
How Netflix is embedding itself in India’s entertainment scene
Source: IFFI Netflix Pavilion at India’s Waves Film Bazaar In a different era, the car-rental company Avis once touted its second ranking behind market leader Hertz with the slogan, ‘We try harder’. That could also be the mantra in India for Netflix, the global streaming giant which is a distant third place behind market leader JioHotstar.
‘Shakti’ sees Nepal’s urgent need for political reform through personal, female lens
Source: Crystal Mountain Films ‘Shakti’ The mundane domestic and deeper social burdens that South Asian societies place on women are framed in a wider political context in Nepali-US drama film Shakti, which plays this week in the Cinema of the World section at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Shakti centres on Durga, a single mother who works tirelessly to support her family while raising her spirited nine-year-old daughter, Lila.
India embraces micro drama format, seeing rapid evolution
India’s micro drama (or vertical video) industry is a fast-moving and evolving market with, as yet, few clear winners, delegates at Waves Film Bazaar were told on Monday. “Audiences are scared of commitment because there is so much choice. We are accustomed to mindless scrolling and some businesses have managed to monetise this,” said Tarun Sawhney, APAC president of Shorts TV.
‘Kakthet’, ‘Ulta’ win top prizes at India’s Waves Film Bazaar
Waves Film Bazaar in Goa, India, wrapped up its five-day run on Monday (November 24) with a prize ceremony and a minute of silence for legendary actor Dharmendra, who died earlier in the day. The top prize in the Co-Production Features category went to Kakthet (Idiot) by director Stenzin Tankong. The India-France co-production received a cash grant of $10,000. Second place and $5,000 went to Ulta (Madam), an India-France-Canada co-production directed by Paromita Dhar.
Berlinale asking ‘Have you used AI?’ of submitted films
Source: Richard Hübner / Berlinale Berlinale festival director Tricia Tuttle says the festival is researching the use of artificial intelligence among films submitted for selection but is not planning changes in response to the pervasive new technology. “This year, for the first time, on our official submission forms we asked the question ‘Have you used AI in any way in the making of this?’” said Tuttle. “It is not to make rules at this stage. It’s a piece of research.
Kiran Rao sets ‘Shadow Hill: Of Spirits and Men’ as debut film for Kindling Pictures
Source: Kindling Pictures Set in Goa and exploring the quirkiness of ordinary people involved in both a mysterious treasure hunt and a love triangle, Shadow Hill: Of Spirits And Men is a darkly humorous drama project being readied by director Bosco Bhandarkar.
India-Australia sign creative tech MOU at Film Bazaar
Source: Waves Film Bazaar On the sidelines of the Waves Film Bazaar in Goa, the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) signed a pact with Australia’s Deakin University on Saturday (November 22). According to the memorandum of understanding, the two institutions will collaborate on academic programmes, training, and research in creative and applied technologies, including workshops and masterclasses.
IFFI partners with NFDC to support National Indian Film Festival of Australia
EXCLUSIVE: The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) have signed an MOU to support the second edition of the National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) in 2026. The festival is a multi-city event that, in this year’s inaugural edition in February, spanned seven Australian state capitals of Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and Brisbane.
Waves Film Bazaar project ‘Gloria’ probes clash between worker and wealthy scammer
One of the biggest budget projects at India’s Waves Film Bazaar project market this week is Gloria, a dark comedy that is already structured as a Singapore-Philippines co-venture. “Way before Covid, my team were kicking around a list of ideas”, says Singaporean director Alaric Tay, who has some two decades as a performer and has been attached to more than 100 films and theatre works.
India’s Waves Film Bazaar to embrace AI, regional languages at enlarged edition
One of the clearest signs of change this year at Film Bazaar – the NFDC-backed film project market that has been operating in Goa, India, for 19 years – is the change of name to Waves Film Bazaar. Otherwise, the working thesis appears to be ‘bigger and better’.
“AI is the most democratic medium”, says filmmaker and IFFI festival director Shekhar Kapur
Known as the director of Elizabeth and Mister India, Shekhar Kapur is relishing the moment that the world is catching on and waking up to his other vocation as an advocate for new technology. In his second year as festival director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Kapur is making changes. Most visible is his ditching of the festival opening ceremony and its replacement with a parade.
Diversity key goal of India’s IFFI 2025 selection, says artistic director Pankaj Saxena
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) aims to become more representative of global filmmaking, minority communities, women and emerging technology, according to head selector and artistic director Pankaj Saxena. Set to run November 20-28, the 56th edition of the festival boasts three competitive sections, screenings of 165 international films, an Indian Panorama and specialist sections for genre titles and environmental interest films.
‘Stree’ producer Maddock Films unveils franchise-heavy film slate
India’s Maddock Films has confirmed plans for a seven-title horror comedy franchise and upcoming war drama Ikkis. The announcement was made on the eve of Waves Film Bazaar and the International Film Festival of India in Goa by company chief Dinesh Vijan. The company is best-known for Stree and blockbuster sequel Stree 2, which earned more than $92m last year as well as Munja and Teri Baato Mein Aisa Aljha Jiya.
International Film Festival of India announces opening film, main selection and masterclasses
Source: Raajkamal Films International The long-running International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will operate this year with a renewed commitment to inclusivity and diversity, Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of information and broadcasting, said on Friday (Nov 7). Underlining that point, the festival named Brazilian sci-fi drama The Blue Trail, which picked up the Silver Bear award earlier this year in Berlin, as its opening title.
‘The Maharaja And Me’ heads for Film Bazaar documentary project market
The shared history of Britain and India is set to be given a personal touch in The Maharaja And Me, a film project that will be unveiled within the Documentary Co-Production Market, part of the 2025 Waves Film Bazaar in Goa (November 20-24). The film is a UK–India collaborative feature developed and created by Sue Graham and set to be directed by Ben Crichton, winner of a Bafta TV award for BBC Two factual series Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.
How Trump, Covid and technology have fuelled the Asian animation boom
A bumper year for Asian animated features builds on years of building up audience, expertise and technological advances and is now attracting major investment. In Ne Zha 2, an Asian film this year grabbed the all-time record for the top-grossing animated feature, comfortably beating previous champion Inside Out 2 and 2019’s The Lion King — as well as its own predecessor, the previous top-scoring Asian animation Ne Zha, which earned $726m in 2019.
“The ecosystem of the industry is collapsing”: Can Korea’s crisis-hit film sector recover?
The Korean film industry’s deep depression stands in contrast to its successful outward image, but resourcefulness is not in short supply. Having kicked off in 1996 with the convention-defying launch of Busan International Film Festival, the modern Korean cinema industry is barely 30 years old. Those three decades have been a rollercoaster ride that included growing international acclaim and industry success punctuated by multiple periods of adversity.
Micro dramas: A comeback opportunity for Korea's troubled content sector?; China seeks international lead
Micro dramas (aka vertical videos) could be the catalyst for a revival of the South Korean screen industry – or even help the Korean industry challenge that of China. Chinese micro drama producers, meanwhile, are intent on using their current momentum to further expand their current business models into overseas markets. Both positions were aired as this year's APOS convention in Bali headed to its close.
Marco Mueller’s WIP Lab secures Shanghai home for comeback edition
Noted film festival director, academic and producer Marco Mueller has secured the backing of Shanghai University to give a secure home to the Work In Progress Lab initiative he launched in January 2024 in Macau. The inaugural WIP Lab, which helped independent Chinese films that were either in post-production or completed but needing sales and release support,claimed multiple successes.
Uncomfortable moment of reckoning for Asian cinema; little love, few deals, low funding mark subdued Asian showing at Cannes Film Festival
Just days before it got underway, the Cannes Film Festival revealed that Chinese film "Resurrection" would join its main competition. The addition meant two Asian films in the festival’s most-watched section and made for an only slightly less subdued Asian showing at the film industry’s most important annual showcase.
Korean film fund closes, backers exit as book value collapses; cinema merger adds pressure to Korean movie sector
Shinhan Bank-Daesung Cultural Contents Investment Fund, previously a South Korean movie fund with KRW7 billion/US$5 million of starting capital, has been closed by its two principal backers – Shinhan Bank and Daesung Private Equity. The move, while not large, underlines the exit of capital and other mounting difficulties for Korea’s feature film industry.
“I don’t set out to be an example to others” - Sylvia Chang; Taiwan cinema icon readies new projects as she celebrates 54 years in the business
"Daughter’s Daughter", which debuted in the Toronto International Film Festival, puts its protagonist through the wringer as a retired woman who must confront her estranged daughter’s sexuality. And, after the younger woman is killed in an accident, the mother becomes responsible for her daughter’s plans to have a child through IVF. Taiwanese star Sylvia Chang takes the central role and also came to the film’s rescue when the COVID pandemic threatened to stall it at project stage.
Indie producers in Asia encouraged to consider remakes; pros and cons outlined at Focus Asia gathering in Udine
Remakes and film franchises should be part of the repertoire of smaller and independent producers, not the exclusive domain of Hollywood or Asian majors, executives at Focus Asia, an East-West industry gathering on the side of this year’s Udine film festival were told.
And the winner is... Udine; specialist Asian film festival dons a larger mantle
"Her Story", a Chinese feminist drama movie, was named the top prize-winner at the Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine in the small hours of Saturday morning. An extended version of Hong Kong box-office record-breaker "The Last Dance" also collected multiple awards. But the overall winner was the festival itself.
Toho plans US$1.47-billion investment over three years; Japanese giant eyes anime and international development
Toho Co, already Japan’s largest integrated film company, says it will invest ¥70 billion/US$489 million over the next three years in new content. A further ¥120 billion/US$839 million has been earmarked, also over three years, on corporate acquisitions and the opening of multiplex cinemas. Both the internal investments and the M&A spending are intended to strengthen Toho’s position in anime and in the international marketplace.
U.S. trade positions rattle APAC film and TV industries; Australia stands firm, jury out in China, Korea, India and the rest of the region
While the import and export of physical goods may have been the early focus of U.S. President Donald Trump’s bilateral trade moves, the Asia-Pacific region’s film and TV industries may soon be shaken by the new “America First” policy. There are calls for Asian governments – particularly South Korea – to wind down screen industry development systems. In Australia, there is evidence that the new U.S. regime has already influenced media regulations.
FILMART closes high on industry uncertainty; upbeat notes mixed with politics, economics & disruption
Proudly announcing itself as the final set-piece event of the 2025 edition of FILMART, Hong Kong film directors and producers closed the show with a discussion on their uncertain outlook. One of the directors, Anselm Chan, had recently delivered Hong Kong’s highest grossing film of all time, "The Last Dance". Another, Philip Yung, with his family sex abuse drama, "Papa", had revealed a rarely seen grit and been rewarded with multiple awards.
Phoenix Waters and Studio Target set Hong Kong-Korea production partnership; Partners commit to first feature film ‘Shashou’ ahead of 2025 production start | ContentAsia
An international action thriller that pays homage to classic Hong Kong cinema while incorporating Western influences is set to be the first project to emerge from an agreement between Hong Kong-based Phoenix Waters Productions (PWP) and South Korea’s Studio Target. While their agreement starts with the feature “Shashou,” the two companies are expected to also co-develop, co-finance and jointly produce a slate of films, series and micro dramas (aka vertical videos).
The Narrow Road to the Deep North WWII Drama Series On Amazon
#1 · Jacob Elordi Wraps Production on ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North,’ Australian Epic Series – First Look By Patrick Frater variety.com Five months of production has been completed on Jacob Elordi-starring drama series “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” which is set in the “Euphoria” and “Saltburn” star’s native Australia. An adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanaghan, the five-part series is a love story set against the backdrop of World War II.
Myanmar cinema remains stuck in “The Hurt Locker”; filmmakers tiptoe around harsh regime
So touching that they are painful. So dangerous that they have to remain hidden. Why Myanmar’s films may bring only limited international awareness of the country’s despair. It was difficult not to be simultaneously inspired and depressed by the season of short, live-action and animation films from Myanmar presented last month in Vesoul, France, at its enthusiastically attended Festival of Asian Cinema (FICA).
“The Last Dance” breaks records by challenging traditions; local identity, production funding and resilience drive Hong Kong’s mad film moment
Hong Kong films have been having a mad moment – none more so than Anselm Chan’s The Last Dance. The territory’s 2019-20 political upheavals and the beginning of the COVID era further underlined the different direction that filmmakers in the territory have taken from their mainland China cousins, where patriotism and spectacle are the dominant trends.
Kelly Mi Li’s “Stir the Pot” goes live; “The best talks, like the best meals, have a little heat to them,” “Bling Empire” star says
Kelly Mi Li, the Asian American star of Netflix reality show "Bling Empire", has debuted her weekly unscripted original series, "Stir the Pot", blending her family’s Hot Jiang chili oil and spice powders brand with celebrity guests for Asian-American platforms, GoldenTV and ChimeTV.
April debut for TurtleMe’s “The Beginning After the End”; first two seasons are a “drop in the ocean,” author Brandon Lee says
Billed as the first American webtoon to be adapted as a Japanese anime, "The Beginning After the End" is a fantasy adventure saga involving reincarnation, power games and mysterious creatures. The show debuts from April as an animated series on Fuji TV’s +Ultra programming block and on Crunchyroll.
Netflix adds Vietnamese horror original “Devil’s Diner” to global line-up; “Universal tales of human longing and the choices we make when faced with impossible dilemmas,” director Ham Tran says | ContentAsia
Horror series "Devil’s Diner" premiered on Netflix at the weekend, marking the TV series directorial debut of leading Vietnamese-American filmmaker, Ham Tran. The 6x30 mins drama-horror series ("Tiem ăn của quỷ"), was conceived and financed as the streamer’s first Vietnamese original series, though it does not now carry that label. Nevertheless, it remains exclusive to Netflix and will be available across190+ territories.
Thailand's First International Oscar Shortlist Feature 'How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies' Mines Comedy From Family Clashes
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Thailand's First International Oscar Shortlist Feature 'How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies' Mines Comedy From Family Clashes
The story of "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" is driven by multiple family-related conflicts, but these succeed because of the depth of character, says Pat Boonnitipat, director of the comedy-drama that is Thailand's first movie to ever make the Oscars' international feature film shortlist.
Thailand’s First International Oscar Shortlist Feature ’How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ Mines Comedy From Family Clashes
The story of “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” is driven by multiple family-related conflicts, but these succeed because of the depth of character, says Pat Boonnitipat, director of the comedy-drama that is Thailand’s first movie to ever make the Oscars’ international feature film shortlist.
'April' Takes Double Win at Asia Pacific Screen Awards Original
Georgian drama film “April” took double honors on Saturday at the annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, winning the best film prize and the best performance prize for Ia Sukhitashvili. Directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili, the film portrays the determination of an obstetrics and gynaecology provider in the face of accusations about the death of a newborn child.
‘Detective Daji,’ Female-Led Supernatural Crime Series Pitches up at Asia TV Forum & Market Original
Supernatural crime series, “Detective Daji” is to be launched as a project at next week’s Asia TV Forum and Market (ATF) in Singapore. The U.S.-Taiwanese show involves a female police officer Detective Daji Su murdered in the line of duty. She is given a second chance at life when she is resurrected by an ancient Fox Demon who is hell-bent on revenge and reclaiming her own place in the demonic world.
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