It really is another remarkable year for Thai auteur cinema. 

Thai director and 2023 Koktail Future Lister Anocha “Mai” Suwichakornpong has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Out of 529 global invitees this year, she is the only Thai filmmaker among the 21 selected for the prestigious Directors branch, meaning that if she accepts the invitation, she will soon be able to cast a vote at the upcoming Oscars.

Mai is best known for Mundane History (2009), Krabi, 2562 (2019) and By the Time It Gets Dark (2016), the last of which is a fragmented, metatextual retelling – and a commentary on the impossibility of such a retelling – of the 1976 Thammasat University massacre. The film served as Thailand’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards in 2017.

This represents a breakthrough, especially considering Apichatpong “Joe” Weerasethakul was previously the only Thai director to hold Academy membership after his 2016 invitation. It is all part of a broader effort to shake up the electorate: if every invitee accepts, the total membership will climb to 11,319, with 36% women, 25% from underrepresented groups and 22% international filmmakers.

Koktail extends its warmest congratulations to Mai for this well-deserved recognition. In an ever-shifting landscape of short-lived trends, her success proves that meaningful filmmaking will always hold its ground – because cinema, after all, still matters.

Curious about the visionary filmmaker shaking up the Academy voting ranks? Click here to read our comprehensive Future Lister profile on Mai, exploring her work, background and impact on the film industry.