“It’s a double-edged sword”: international producers talk co-production in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s relaxed regulations around co-production are benefitting films in the region, according to the filmmakers behind Tokyo competition title Morte Cucina, but are also a “double-edged sword”.

Speaking at industry platform TIFFCOM, Thai auteur Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, producer Soros Sukhum and Italian co-producer Stefano Centini discussed balancing competing country’s needs and cashflow particularities on the Thailand-Singapore-Taiwan-France-Luxembourg co-production.

On Morte Cucina, the specific co-production structure was partly determined by Ratanaruang’s creative needs. The director said he had a handful of non-negotiables, but that for elements such as colour grading, Sukhum was able to pursue options from countries where funding would be available.

For Sukhum, managing the production’s cash flow proved the main challenge. “We got some loans but not from a bank, from rich people,” he said. “When everybody recoups, we give them a premium of 5% or 3.” The film’s budget of $1.3m was 50% financed by Thai investors, alongside Singapore, Taiwan’s TAICCA and others.

Centini, whose company Volos Films originated in Taiwan but also has offices in Italy, said the lack of formal regulations around funding in Southeast Asia does provide benefits for production in the region. Looser regulations “allow us, for example, to participate in co-productions even with only a little share,” he said. “In this case, I think that one [co-production partner] is below 10%. In Italy, that wouldn’t qualify as a co-production.”

“On the other hand, in Europe, you have a network which is stronger,” Centini added, referencing organisations like Eurimages. “Every country knows the rules from the other country, whereas in Asia, the rules change a lot. We have to explain to international producers that what was true yesterday is not true today.”

Similarly, a lack of defined co-production treaties between Southeast Asian countries has not been a barrier, according to panel moderator Lorna Tee, a producer from incubator programme and development platform mylab.

“We do a lot of co-productions, but not through the official channels within Asia,” she said. “It’s mostly through the relationships that producers have built meeting each other along the way,” she said.

“It’s a double-edged sword in some ways. When [the system is] not as rigid, you have flexibility, but at the same time, sometimes there’s confusion and a lack of clarity of what is required [from international co-producing partners].”

Morte Cucina is a thriller starring Bella Soonsang as a talented cook who plots revenge after accidentally meeting a man who took advantage of her in the past. The film is set to receive its Asian premiere at Tokyo International Film Festival after debuting at San Sebastian and playing AFI Fest.

This story originally appeared on Screen’s sister site Screen Global Production

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