Benetone Films
Benetone Films is a production company based in Bangkok, Thailand. It was founded in 2002 by Rajpal Narula, and is today headed by his two sons, Rachvin and Kulthep Narula. The company was recognized as the No. 1 Foreign Production Service Company in Thailand for 7 years in a row (2008 to 2015) by Thailand Film Office; having line produced over 800 commercials and over 80 feature films which include Bollywood blockbusters such as Ek Tha Tiger, Student of the Year, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Housefull 2, Partner, Murder and No Entry. In 2011, Benetone Films entered a partnership with Daemon Hillin, establishing Benetone Hillin Entertainment, a production house based in Los Angeles, becoming the first Thailand film production company to enter the US Indie Film market.
About the company
Benetone Films was founded by a chance meeting with Feroz Khan, whom the founder and his sons helped to complete a 40-day shoot in Thailand. The shoot was originally planned to be in Australia, but the Indian producer-actor-director, impressed by Thailand's locations, infrastructure, and efficiency of the crew, moved the shoot to Thailand.[1] Thereafter, recognizing the potential of Thailand's production strengths, Benetone Films was officially launched in 2002. It has since line produced over 80 feature films and 600 commercials from Israel, Australia, Singapore, Russia, Turkey, France, the Indian subcontinent, and other countries worldwide. Today, the company is recognized as the largest production service company in Thailand, employing over fifty full-time staff, which are multi-lingual and experienced to deal with production of any size. It had also been honored as the No.1 Foreign Production Service Company, 6 years in a row by Thailand Film Office, from 2008 to 2013.
Benetone Hillin Entertainment
In 2011, Benetone Films joined hands with Daemon Hillin, a producer based in Los Angeles, establishing Benetone Hillin Entertainment, which as of December 2013, had produced 4 feature films, notably A Stranger in Paradise starring Stuart Townsend, Colin Egglesfield, and Academy Award nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno slated for a national theatrical release in USA on February 14, 2014,[2] and Pernicious starring Ciara Hanna, Emily O' Brien, and Jackie Moore, which were both shot in Thailand.
On 14 January 2014, Benetone Hillin Entertainment announced signing up of Gordon Bressack, three time Emmy Award-winning writer of such shows as Pinky & The Brain and Animaniacs, for a live action feature film, Oliver Storm and the Curse of Sinbad's Treasure, slated for the 2015 release. The film will be shot completely in Thailand, and will be written by Gordon Bressack and his son, James Cullen Bressack.[3][4][5]
Company Executives
Rachvin Narula, Chief Executive Officer
An MBA graduate of International Business from George Washington University, Rachvin Narula is the co-founder and executive director of Benetone Films. With more than a decade experience, Rachvin has solidified his position as a leading filmmaker in Southeast Asia. Rachvin played an important role in making Benetone Films one of the most prolific foreign film production company in Thailand. To this date, Rachvin has line produced over 20 Bollywood blockbusters and has high-level Bollywood and Hollywood connections.
Kulthep Narula, Chief Operations Officer
A graduate from the prestigious New York University Stern School of Business, Kulthep Narula is the co-founder and the Chief Operations Officer of Benetone Films. Kulthep has lived and worked in Thailand, India, and the United States, and brings an immense knowledge an international vision to the company. Kulthep is appointed to the National Film Council of Thailand and serves as the President of the Foreign Film Production Services Association Thailand. He plays an essential role in country’s film industry.
Daemon Hillin, President of Production
Daemon serves as President of Production and handles the domestic arm of Benetone Films. Known as producer for Pernicious (2014), Killing Winston Jones (2014) and By the Rivers of Babylon (2017), Daemon Hillin has garnered a reputation as an emerging independent producer in Hollywood.
Official links
References
- ↑ "Production: Pernicious" (PDF). Film in Thailand. Thailand Film Office.
- ↑ "Thai Mafia Thriller A Stranger in Paradise, With Collin Egglesfield and Stuart Townsend, to Hit Theaters 2/14".
- ↑ "Screen Daily". MBI, Ltd.
- ↑ "IMDB - Benetone Hillin Lines Up Oliver Storm".
- ↑ "Benetone Hillin lines up Oliver Storm".