Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke | |
|---|---|
 Boonbunchachoke in 2025 | |
| Born | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Occupations | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2010s–present |
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke is a Thai film director and screenwriter of Teochew-Hainanese descent, whose debut feature film A Useful Ghost was released in 2025.1 He also teaches film theory and screenwriting classes in Bangkok.2
Born and raised in Bangkok, he studied film at Chulalongkorn University.3 His short film Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall won the Youth Jury Award in the Pardi di Domani competition at the Locarno 2020 Film Festival.4
He began writing A Useful Ghost in 2017, partially as an indirect metaphor for the political environment of Thailand following the 2014 Thai coup d'état.5 The film, a dark comedy-drama in which a deceased woman's spirit possesses a vacuum cleaner was inspired by the 19th century Thai legend of Mae Nak.2 It had its world premiere in the Critics' Week section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival,6 winning the Grand Prize.7
It was submitted as the Thai entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards,8 although it was disqualified due to submission errors by the production studio.9
Boonbunchachoke sees his work as a continuation of both traditional Thai melodrama and fabulism. He lists among his greatest influences Jacques Rivette, Manoel de Oliveira, João César Monteiro, Eugène Green, Raoul Ruiz, Otar Iosseliani, Werner Schroeter and Marco Ferreri.10 Boonbunchachoke's films have been praised for their representation of LBTQ people.2
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 |
| 2025 | A Useful Ghost | Yes | Yes | No | 7 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Locarno Film Festival | Best International Short Film (Pardi di Domani Youth Jury) | Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall | Won | 4 |
| 2025 | Cannes Film Festival | Critics' Week Grand Prize | A Useful Ghost | Won | 7 |
| Sitges Film Festival | Best Screenplay | Won | 11 | ||
| Citizen Kane Award (Best New Director) | Won |
References
References
- Amy Nicholson, "Plug into ‘A Useful Ghost,’ a quirky, deep Cannes winner about a possessed vacuum". Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2026.
- Boonbunchachoke, Ratchapoom (12 January 2026). "Exclusive Interview: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke on his Cannes Award-winning A Useful Ghost – "I wanted to bring many dimensions of queer characters into the film"". The Queer Review (Interview). Interviewed by Kleinmann, James. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- Bruce Scott, "Meet Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, the Creative Force Behind the Award-Winning Film ‘A Useful Ghost’". Prestige, July 10, 2025.
- John Hopewell, "Lucrecia Martel, Mari Alessandrini, Miguel Gomes Win at Locarno Film Festival". Variety, August 14, 2020.
- Rebecca Ratcliffe, "A Useful Ghost: Recognised in Cannes, Thai director hopes film stirs political debate at home". The Guardian, June 13, 2025.
- Naman Ramachandran, "Cannes Critics’ Week: Thai Director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke on Possessed Vacuum Cleaners and Dust Pollution in ‘A Useful Ghost’". Variety, May 17, 2025.
- Dalton, Ben (22 May 2025). "Thai comedy-drama 'A Useful Ghost' wins top prize at Cannes Critics' Week 2025". Screen International. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- Ramachandran, Naman (20 August 2025). "Thailand Selects Cannes Prize Winner 'A Useful Ghost' as Oscar Entry". Variety. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ""A Useful Ghost" misses Oscar bid after submission mishap, 185 Films explains". nationthailand. 5 November 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- Pélisson, Olivier (2025). "Interview with Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, A Useful Ghost director". Critics' Week. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- De La Fuente, Anna Marie (20 October 2025). "'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You' Lead Rose Byrne Wins Best Actress at the 58th Sitges Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 23 July 2026.