Southeast Asia’s film industry continues to evolve with bold voices, innovative storytelling and visually striking artistry. In this edition, Top 10 of Asia shares its list of the ten most inspiring filmmakers in Southeast Asia (presented in random order) whose visionary storytelling has shaped cinema across the world. From award-winning auteurs to ground-breaking visionaries, these filmmakers are reshaping the very idea of what cinema can achieve.
Banjong Pisanthanakun
Banjong Pisanthanakun is widely recognised as one of Thailand’s leading filmmakers. He first gained prominence with his horror debut SHUTTER (2004), which earned critical acclaim both locally and internationally. Building on that success, he went on to direct notable works such as the award-winning ALONE (2007) and PEE MAK (2013), the latter becoming Thailand’s highest-grossing film of all time. His most recent project, THE MEDIUM (2021)—a Thai-Korean co-production garnered widespread success across multiple countries. Banjong now returns with INHERIT, a grand psychological reimagining of a cherished Thai literary classic, set to hit theatres soon.
Brillante Mendoza
Brillante Mendoza is an acclaimed Filipino director and producer whose films have won awards at major international festivals. He made history as the first Filipino to win Best Director at Cannes for Kinatay (2009) and to receive France’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres (2014). Since his debut Masahista (2005), Mendoza’s works have spotlighted Philippine stories and social issues worldwide. Ranked among the world’s top 100 most awarded directors, apart from consistently serving as juror and jury president for film festivals all around the world, he continues to mentor young filmmakers, promote film literacy and champion Philippine cinema through his foundation and workshops.
Tan Chui Mui
A remarkable filmmaker and artist from Malaysia, Tan Chui Mui gained early acclaim with her debut feature Love Conquers All (2006), which won the New Currents and FIPRESCI Awards at Busan and the Tiger Award at Rotterdam. In 2015, she founded Next New Wave, a platform offering workshops for young Malaysian filmmakers to learn from renowned regional directors. Two years later, she launched SeaShorts, a festival celebrating Southeast Asian short films. Her 2022 art exhibition ‘Just Because You Pressed the Shutter?’, featuring AI-generated imagery, earned the Jimei x Arles Discovery Award and was showcased at Rencontres d’Arles.
Boo Junfeng
The renowned Boo Junfeng wrote and directed Sandcastle (2010) and Apprentice (2016), both of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Apprentice was Singapore’s submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, while Sandcastle was named one of Asia’s standout films of 2010 by The Wall Street Journal. His films explore major themes like identity, memory and sexuality through intimate storytelling. Boo also served as Creative Director for Singapore’s National Day Parade in 2018, 2021 and 2025. He currently chairs the Singapore International Film Festival and is working on his next feature.
Kamila Andini
Kamila Andini is an admired Indonesian director and screenwriter whose work spans film, theatre, visual art and television. Driven by themes of culture, gender equality and environmental issues, she creates stories with a uniquely thoughtful perspective. Her debut feature, The Mirror Never Lies (2011), screened at over 50 international festivals and received numerous awards both nationwide and internationally. Since then, her films have continued to earn major global awards, and she was recently invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), becoming one of the few Southeast Asian filmmakers to receive this honour.
Garin Nugroho
Garin Nugroho is a pioneering force in Indonesia’s major film festivals and a central figure in elevating Indonesian cinema on the global stage. His creative work spans film, performing arts and visual art, with his stage productions and installations presented in Australia and Europe. For his contributions to culture and the arts, he has been honoured with acclaimed recognitions such as France’s Officier des Arts et des Lettres, Italy’s Stella d’Italia Cavaliere and the Singapore Film Festival Honorary Award. He has authored books on film, culture and democracy, founded several notable film festivals and served as a jury member at major festivals including Tokyo and Venice.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a globally acclaimed Thai independent filmmaker and visual artist, recognised for his experimental, non-linear storytelling that merges reality with mythology while delving into themes such as memory, nature and personal politics. A leading voice in contemporary art cinema, he became the first Southeast Asian filmmaker to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes. His work is distinguished by its unconventional structures, use of non-professional actors and blend of documentary, fiction and the supernatural. Though often associated with the arthouse scene, his films are also celebrated for their gentle, playful, spontaneous and unpretentious spirit.
Trần Anh Hùng
Trần Anh Hùng, a Vietnamese-born French filmmaker, is renowned for his visually poetic and sensory approach to cinema. His films seek to reconstruct the Vietnam he lost after moving to France and to offer audiences a fresh perspective beyond the portrayals long shaped by Western cinema. Drawing from Vietnamese culture and his own experiences during visits to the country, he rejects conventional storytelling in favour of a cinematic language that appeals to emotion and the body. His work breaks stereotypes of Vietnam, revealing a world where tenderness and brutality coexist through a distinctive artistic vision.
Eric Khoo
Eric Khoo Kim Hai is widely credited with revitalising Singapore’s film industry in the mid-1990s. Through Zhao Wei Films and Gorylah Pictures, he brought Singapore cinema to global attention, becoming the first local filmmaker featured at major festivals like Berlin, Venice and Cannes. His acclaimed 1995 debut Mee Pok Man remains a milestone in Singaporean film. Khoo also co-authored the White Paper that led to the Singapore Film Commission’s creation. Honoured with the Cultural Medallion and the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, he continues to shape the industry through directing and producing.
Tsai Ming-liang
Tsai Ming-liang, a Malaysia-born Taiwanese filmmaker, is renowned for his minimalist, meditative style and pioneering role in slow cinema. Representing Taiwan internationally, he has earned major honours including the Golden Lion and the Fipresci Prize. A graduate of the Chinese Cultural University, he began in theatre and television before turning to film. His second feature, Vive l’amour, won the Golden Lion at Venice in 1994, and his short Walker closed the 51st Semaine de la Critique in 2012. His contributions have also been recognised with the National Cultural Award.