Independent Filmmaking in South East Asia: Conversations with Filmmakers on Building and Sustaining a Creative Career

Featuring interviews with 27 award-winning and emerging filmmakers, this book is the first comprehensive look at independent filmmaking careers in South East Asia with never-before published insights into the lives and careers of some of the most influential filmmakers in one of the world’s most exciting screen production regions.

Celebrating filmmaking in South East Asia, the interviews offer unique perspectives that highlight the various paths filmmakers have taken to establish and develop their independent filmmaking careers. Presenting filmmakers whose films span narrative, documentary and experimental genres, and from all ten South East Asian nations, the filmmakers in this collection include:

Camera d'Or winner Anthony Chen

Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee Mouly Surya

NETPAC Award Winner Sheron Dayoc

Brunei’s first female director, Siti Kamaluddin

Directors of the Wathann Festival, Thaiddhi and Thu Thu Shein

Lao’s only female and first horror film director, Mattie Do

Aimed at aspiring filmmakers with a focus on career building outside of global production hubs, Meissner has curated a collection of interviews that reflects the diversity and ambition of filmmaking in South East Asia.

The book is accompanied by a companion website (www.southeastasianfilmcareers.com) that includes 27 micro-documentaries on the included filmmakers.