Prachya Pinkaew

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From left, stunt choreographer Panna Rittikrai, director Prachya Pinkaew, producer Somsak Techaratanaprasert and actor Tony Jaa are on stage for the press screening of Tom-Yum-Goong on August 4, 2005 at Major Ratchayothin in Bangkok.

Prachya Pinkaew (Thai: ปรัชญา ปิ่นแก้ว, b. September 2, 1962) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. His films include Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior and Tom-Yum-Goong, both martial arts films starring Tony Jaa. He is also working on a superhero film titled Mercury Man, due to release in Thailand in 2006.

1 Biography
2 Filmography
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography

Prachya graduated from Nakhon Ratchasima Technology College in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in 1985, majoring in architecture. He began his career in 1990, working as an art director and later as creative director at Packshot Entertainment, an advertising firm. He directed music videos and won several Best Music Video Awards at Thailand's Golden Television Awards.

His first feature film was made in 1992 and called The Magic Shoes. It was followed in 1995 by Romantic Blues, a karmic thriller-romance.

By 1998, Prachya was concentrating on producing films, including the vampire movie Body Jumper, the action-comedy Heaven's Seven, the horror movie 999-9999, the musical Hoedown Showdown, the frankly sexual comedy Sayew and the arthouse drama Fake.

With his own Baa-Ram-Ewe production house, his name is seen on many films produced for Sahamongkol Film International.

In 2003 he took the director's chair for Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, starring Tony Jaa, which went on to become a worldwide sensation and was the highest-grossing Thai film of the year. He also directed Tony Jaa's next starring feature, Tom-Yum-Goong.

His next projects include Chocolate, about a young autistic female martial artist out for revenge, and Power Kids, about four young martial artists fighting off terrorists who have taken over a hospital. He is also developing Daab Atamas (Sword), starring Tony Jaa. And he's producing Ong Bak 2, with Jaa directing, set for release in 2007.