23rd New York Asian Film Festival

July 12-28, 2024

Photo: ©2024 gdh 559 co., ltd. all rights reserved

North American Premiere

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

หลานม่า

An emotional sucker punch masquerading as a snarky domestic charmer, this massive Thai box office phenomenon smuggles profundities about life, death and family into the soul like a Trojan Horse. It's a mismatch made in comedic heaven - megastar Billkin as the slacker supreme quitting the rat race to become full-time caregiver for his irascible grandma. But their initial bristling masks a deeper rapport. A masterclass in milking laughs from life's bitter pills evolves into a transcendent, emotional awakening sparked by their contradictory life perspectives. Beneath the surface humor emerges a piercing distillation of life's final chapters and the sacred, intergenerational bonds only family can forge. Exquisitely shaded personal dramas lend texture, as the director pirouettes through hairpin emotional turns with acrobatic grace. You'll stagger out of this gem spiritually smitten to the core.

Director: Pat Boonnitipat
Cast: "Putthipong ""Billkin"" Assaratanakul", """Tu"" Tontawan Tantivejakul", Usha Seamkhum
Languages: Thai with English subtitles
2024; 125 min.

SCHEDULE:

Wednesday July 17, 5:45pm
Film at Lincoln Center

Friday July 26, 6:00pm
SVA Theatre

Intro and Q&A with director Pat Boonnitipat and actor Putthipong "Billkin" Assaratanakul

Putthipong "Billkin" Assaratanakul
พุฒิพงศ์ อัสสรัตนกุล

Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul is a Thai actor and pop singer who works primarily in television. He graduated from Thammasat Business School, and moved from modeling to acting in supporting roles, beginning with the teen TV horror series Please... Siang Riak Winyan (2017) and the hit romcom Brother of the Year (2018). In 2019, he starred in My Ambulance, followed by his breakthrough performance in 2020, when he played the lead in the critically acclaimed BL series, I Told Sunset About You. It launched him into international stardom and won him numerous acting awards. Billkin is also a renowned singer and has released numerous singles and albums.

Pat Boonnitipat
พัฒน์ บุญนิธิพัฒน์

Pat Boonnitipat is a Thai film director working primarily in television and documentary series, specializing in teenage stories. He began his career as a photographer/cameraman for the hit TV series Hormones in 2014, and went on to co-direct Diary of Tootsies Season 1 (2016). His breakthrough came in 2020, when he was tapped to adapt and remake the global hit Thai film Bad Genius (NYAFF 2017) for TV as Bad Genius The Series. It won Best TV Drama/Series, Best Screenplay and Best Director at the 17th Komchadluek Awards, among other honors. He teamed up with the producers of the series to create How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (NYAFF 2024), a personal project developed from an original screenplay by Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn, and makes his feature directorial debut with the film. It became an instant hit in Thailand, before conquering box offices across Asia.