By: Bayani San Diego Jr. Philippine Daily Inquirer

DIRECTOR Adolfo Alix Jr. (left) worked nonstop in Palawan, recalls Ananda Everingham. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHOENIX FEATURES

Although he is best known for the Thai horror hit Shutter, which was remade as a Hollywood flick, Laotian-Australian actor Ananda Everingham has balanced his commercial work with involvement in art-house projects.

Visitors to Bangkok invariably encounter Everingham, whose face is on billboards and posters all over the city.

Time was when Thai cinema, powered by young indie visionaries, was among the most dynamic in the world, he recalled in an exclusive interview with the Inquirer.

Then it stagnated, he said. Government instability didnt help. Now, we are struggling.

To help revitalize the industry, he makes use of his celebrity by championing significant projects. I am in a unique position. I was never under contract with a studio, so its been easier for me to pursue and create my own projects, he noted.

He formed his own company, Halo, which has gone into film and TV production. As a producer, I started out a bit too idealistic, he admitted. Ive since realized that, to continue making the movies I want, I should make the company sustainable. My commercial work supports my more abstract, indie films.

In Thailand, he has three projects in the can: Fatherland, a political-action-drama about religious strife; Concrete Clouds, an art film set amidst the 1997 Asian economic crisis; and Shambala, a road movie about two brothers in Tibet.

He coproduced Shambala which, he explained, is Tibetan for nirvana.

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