Kongdej Jaturanrasamee


Kongdej Jaturanrasamee is a Thai screenwriter, film director and former musician. His screenplays include The Letter, Tom-Yum-Goong, and Me... Myself. His own films include Sayew and Midnight My Love.

Biography

Education, early career

Kongdej graduated from the film department at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. He began his career in the late 1990s directing music videos for record label RS Promotion. He also wrote screenplays for the company's the then-new RS Film, but none were ever produced into films.
In addition, he also a member of Si Tao Thoe, an alternative rock band that was popular in the mid-90s of the Thai music industry.

''Sayew'', ''The Letter''

Kongdej made his directorial debut with Sayew, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Kiat Songsanant. A comedy about a tomboyish young woman exploring sex and her sexuality, it won an honorable mention Asian Trade Winds Award at the 2003 Seattle International Film Festival.
He had also been approached by producer Duangkamol Limcharoen to write the screenplay for the romantic drama, The Letter, a 2004 Thai remake of a 1997 Korean film. The film was a hit, and with the screenplay, Kongdej became a sought-after scriptwriter. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2005 Tony Jaa martial arts film, Tom-Yum-Goong.

''Midnight My Love''

His first solo directorial effort, 2005's Midnight My Love, was nominated for several Thailand National Film Association Awards, including best director and best screenplay. It won best director and best script awards from the Bangkok Critics Assembly. The romantic comedy-drama starred comedian Petchtai Wongkamlao in a dramatic role as a melancholy taxi driver who develops a relationship with a massage parlor worker. Midnight My Love was featured at several film festivals, including the Deauville Asian Film Festival, Cinefan and the Chicago International Film Festival.
He also wrote the screenplay for the 2006 comic-book adaptation and the 2007 romantic comedy Me... Myself.
His 2008 romantic comedy is Kod, about "a three-armed man and a big-bosomed girl."
Other projects include the screenplay for Nonzee Nimibutr's 2008 fantasy, Queen of Langkasuka.

Filmography

YearTitleRole
1995Romantic Blue Actor
2003SayewScreenwriter, co-director
2004The Letter Screenwriter
2005Midnight My Love Writer-director
2005Tom-Yum-Goong Screenwriter
2006Screenwriter
2007Me... MyselfScreenwriter
2007The HouseActor
2008Handle Me With Care Writer-director
2008Queen of LangkasukaScreenwriter
2008Happy BirthdayScreenwriter
2011P-047Director-Writer
2013Tang WongDirector-Writer
2015So Be ItDirector-Writer
2015SnapDirector-Writer
2019Where we belongDirector-Writer