New Venture B-EST Pictures Launches With Thai Horror 'Tame,' Headed to Toronto and Thai Cinemas This October
A new production and distribution venture called B-EST Pictures has launched, and its first film is already on the calendar: Tame, a Thai horror-suspense feature rooted in folklore, arrives in Thai cinemas on 29 October, with international sales opening at the Toronto Film Festival's market next month. (Variety)
B-EST Pictures is a joint venture between EST N8 and BrandThink. EST N8 brings a sales, financing and distribution network that has previously handled Thai horror titles such as Home For Rent and Delivery Man, along with a slate spanning Master, Danur: The Last Chapter, Janur Ireng, Dear Stranger, The Invisible Half, Dead End and Jaguar. BrandThink, a Bangkok-based content company spanning publishing, brand partnerships, IP experiences, community and cinema, contributes editorial reach into Thai subcultures and creative communities. Its film arm, BrandThink Cinema, produced the 2023 feature Redlife and the Netflix original series Terror Tuesday: Extreme. (Variety)
The two companies will co-develop, co-finance and co-produce films and live experiences under the B-EST banner, starting in Southeast Asia before expanding internationally. Three additional titles will be announced in the coming months. Kris Eiamsakulrat co-founded EST N8; Sophie Changhui-Shi serves as head of studios. (Variety)
Tame is set in a rural bullfighting village. The story follows a teenage girl trapped under her family's control who turns an ancient spirit's brutal methods back on the people who raised her. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Thamuya Thasananukulkij. (Variety)
The cast is led by T-pop star Pimmada Chaisakcharoen, known for Human Resource, alongside Chayanit Chansangavej (Cracked, Supposed) and Jespipat Tilapornputt (The Stain). Producing are Anucha Boonyawatana, whose credit Malila: The Farewell Flower won Busan's Kim Jiseok Award and the Netpac Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival, and BrandThink founder Ekalak "Luck" Klunson, whose credits include Netflix's Redlife, Halabala and 5th Round. (Variety)
The choice to launch with horror follows a track record EST N8 has built in the genre. The Circle of Death, a Mongolian-Thai co-production on the company's slate, broke the record for the highest-grossing horror film in Mongolia and features Sukhee Ariunbyamba, a Best Actor winner at the Ulaanbaatar International Film Festival. (EST N8)
Toronto's market, where Tame will be introduced to international buyers, runs alongside the Toronto Film Festival each September — a marketplace where sales agents and distributors from around the world negotiate which films reach screens in the months that follow.
