An animation hub

Kantana studio is making a major push into computer animation. Apparently, Kantana sees itself as "the Disney of Thailand", though, actually, the "Pixar of Thailand" would be more cutting edge.

According to a recent item in Ken Ywin's Unedited Cuts column in The Nation:

Thailand’s Kantana Group plans to produce one major animation film a year to boost its international profile and the country’s place as a regional animation production centre, according to Kantana’s president, Jareuk Kaljareuk. The says he wants to make Kantana Animation “the Disney of Thailand”. Wow!

Kantana is currently in production on Thailand’s first major animation feature film, Khan Kluay (Banana Stalk), costing more than US$2.5 million (Bt100 million), with support from the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.

Khan Kluay – about an abandoned elephant that helps save his country from invasion – was originally conceived as a television series. The film is due for release next April, and will be seen locally as well as in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. The company also hopes to distribute the film in the US and Europe.