Purin Film Fund

Overview

Purin Film Fund (formerly Purin Pictures) is a non-profit film fund supporting independent cinema in Southeast Asia. Established in 2017 under the Purin Foundation, the fund is managed by filmmakers Anocha Suwichakornpong and Aditya Assarat. It operates two funding programs - a Production Fund and a Post-Production Fund - with two application cycles per year (Spring and Fall). The fund prioritizes independent-minded films with artistic merit over commercially driven content.

Purin defines Southeast Asia as 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The fund is one of the few regional film funds that explicitly supports fiction, animation, and documentary formats, rather than focusing on documentary alone.

In the Spring 2026 cycle, Purin distributed $160,000 across four documentary and two fiction projects. Recent recipients include Sompot Chidgasornpongse's 9 Temples To Heaven (set to premiere at Directors' Fortnight in Cannes) and Quang Nong Nhat's Baby Jackfruit Baby Guava (winner of the Special Jury Award in the Burning Lights Competition at Visions du Reel). The Fall 2025 cycle funded projects from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore, including films by Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Le Bao, Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, and Chris Chong Chan Fui.

What It Funds

Production Fund

The Production Fund provides cash support:

• Fiction and animation: USD 30,000, paid in three installments (USD 10,000 on agreement signing, USD 15,000 on start of principal photography, USD 5,000 on delivery)
• Documentary: USD 15,000, paid in two installments (USD 10,000 on signing, USD 5,000 on delivery)

The fund is designed for projects that have completed development and are ready to move into principal photography. Projects must not have started principal photography at the time of application. There is no requirement for marketplace attachment (broadcaster, distributor, or streamer commitment) at the application stage.

At least one fund per session (Production and Post-Production) is earmarked for a female filmmaker, reflecting the fund's commitment to promoting under-represented voices in Southeast Asian cinema.

Post-Production Fund

The Post-Production Fund provides in-kind support delivered through a partnership with White Light Studio in Bangkok:

• Fiction and animation: USD 50,000 in-kind
• Documentary: USD 35,000 in-kind

Services covered include color correction, 5.1 sound mix, subtitle spotting, and other specific post-production finishing work. The in-kind model means filmmakers receive professional post-production services at White Light Studio rather than cash. This ensures the support goes directly into the film's finishing quality and gives filmmakers access to professional infrastructure that may be unaffordable or unavailable in their local markets.

To apply for the Post-Production Fund, projects must have already started principal photography and be able to submit a rough cut of at least 30 minutes.

Eligibility

Citizenship requirement: The director must be a citizen of one of the 11 Southeast Asian countries listed above, with a valid passport. Residents who are not citizens do not qualify. Producers do not have to be citizens, but the primary production company must be registered in a Southeast Asian country.

Experience requirement: Directors must have made at least one feature film or two short films to be eligible. Animation applicants may apply with one previous short film.

Project requirements:

• Films must be over 60 minutes in total length (short films are not eligible)
• A completed script is required for fiction and animation projects
• Treatment and research materials are acceptable for documentary projects if a script is not available
• For the Production Fund: principal photography must not have started
• For the Post-Production Fund: principal photography must have started, with at least a 30-minute rough cut available

Reapplication rules: Projects previously not selected for Production Fund funding may not reapply for the same category. However, production-funded projects may apply for post-production funding.

Timeline requirement: For the Production Fund, principal photography must begin within 24 months of signing the agreement, or the agreement is voided and no pending funds will be disbursed.

Application Timeline

Purin operates two application cycles per year for both funds:

Spring Cycle

• February 1: Open call begins
• March 1, 23:59 (GMT+7): Application deadline
• May 1: Decision announced

Fall Cycle

• August 1: Open call begins
• September 1, 23:59 (GMT+7): Application deadline
• November 1: Decision announced

A diverse international committee of film professionals reviews applications in a two-month-long process. The primary selection criterion is the strength of the latest edit (for Post-Production) or the creative and financial materials (for Production). Purin reserves the right to request additional materials during the selection process.

Why the In-Kind Post-Production Model Matters

The Post-Production Fund's in-kind structure is worth understanding carefully. Rather than receiving a cash grant that could be diverted to other production costs, filmmakers receive professional post-production services at White Light Studio in Bangkok. This model guarantees the support is used for its intended purpose: finishing the film to a professional standard.

For Southeast Asian filmmakers working in markets without established post-production infrastructure, this access can be the difference between a film that meets international festival delivery specifications and one that does not. White Light Studio provides the color correction, sound mixing, and subtitling services that festivals like Cannes, Berlin, and Visions du Reel require for official selection.

Other Purin Initiatives

Beyond the Production and Post-Production funds, Purin operates additional programs:

• Purin Flaherty Fellowship: A fellowship program supporting Southeast Asian filmmakers
• SFC (Southeast Asian Film Connections): Annual winners announced supporting regional cinema
• Film-related activities: Purin also funds film-related events and initiatives beyond production and post-production

Filmmakers should check the Purin website for current details on these additional programs, as they operate on separate timelines from the main funds.

Past Recipients and Notable Films

Purin has supported independent Southeast Asian films that have premiered at major international festivals. Specific recipients and the films they made with Purin support:

• Martika Ramirez Escobar - Leonor Will Never Die (2022) - Purin Film Fund recipient. Premiered at Sundance 2022, won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award. A meta-cinematic drama about a retired Filipino action filmmaker.

• Sompot Chidgasornpongse - 9 Temples To Heaven - Set to premiere at Directors' Fortnight in Cannes. A documentary exploring Thai Buddhist temple culture.

• Quang Nong Nhat - Baby Jackfruit Baby Guava - Winner of the Special Jury Award in the Burning Lights Competition at Visions du Reel. A Vietnamese documentary.

• Alyx Ayn Arumpac - Tongues of Fire (2025) - Fall 2025 Production Grant. Currently in production.

• Chris Chong Chan Fui - Moto (2025) - Fall 2025 Post-Production Grant. Currently in post-production.

What Makes a Competitive Application

1. Southeast Asian director citizenship - The director must be a citizen of a Southeast Asian country (Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam). Residents who are not citizens do not qualify.
2. Artistic merit and independence - Prioritizes independent-minded films with artistic merit over commercial projects.
3. Director track record - Directors must have made at least one feature film or two short films. Animation applicants may apply with one previous short film.
4. Production company registration - The primary production company must be registered in a Southeast Asian country.
5. Project readiness - For production funding, projects must not have started principal photography. For post-production, must have at least a 30-minute rough cut.

Who Should Apply

Southeast Asian directors of fiction, animation, or documentary feature films (60+ minutes) who are either close to production-ready or in need of post-production finishing support. The Production Fund suits projects that have completed development with a finished script (or treatment for documentaries) and are ready to begin principal photography within 24 months. The Post-Production Fund suits projects that have completed or are in principal photography with at least a 30-minute rough cut assembled.

First-time filmmakers without a prior feature or at least two short films are not eligible. The fund seeks independent, artist-driven work rather than commercially produced content. Filmmakers from under-represented communities, particularly female filmmakers, are actively prioritized through the earmarked funding policy.

See Also

For Southeast Asian filmmakers building an international co-production strategy, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For post-production workflow planning and estimating storage needs for your rough cut and final deliverables, use the Storage and Footage Calculator. For the full funding regulations and application forms, visit the Purin Film Fund website.