Disruptive Element Films is delighted to announce funding from the UK Global Screen Fund to assist its global expansion via a new slate of four feature films directed by BAFTA-winning film and tv writer-director Tinge Krishnan (A Thousand Blows, The Mosquito Coast, Industry, Junkhearts, WeCrashed). All films will be produced in Thailand with support from the Thai government. Launching with its first feature, NAK MUAY, a martial arts action drama based on an undefeated Muay Thai champion, executive produced by Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and two time BAFTA-winning financier and executive producer Colin Pons.
Produced by BAFTA award-winning Dominic Buchanan (Gimme the Loot, The End of the F***ing World) with cinematography by Gavin Kelly (American Horror Story, Little America, Wu-Tang: An American Saga) and special local consultant Sol Papadopolous (A Prayer Before Dawn), NAK MUAY will commence pre-production directly after Cannes Film Festival with principle shooting taking place between August and September 2026.
NAK MUAY is a bruising, mystical martial arts drama about the price of glory, the grip of guilt, and the quiet power of chosen family. At the height of his fame, Yod (played by Natthaphum Kaeowatthanameth who fights professionally under the name of Sua Black) is Thailand’s undefeated Muay Thai champion. He is a national icon, the face of global brands, and a fixture in Bangkok’s elite circles. But behind the flashbulbs and footwork, he’s cracking under the weight of guilt. Years ago, a brutal match left his childhood best friend Krit with irreversible brain damage. Now Krit is dying, and Yod is spiralling.
Tinge Krishnan, Joint CEO Disruptive Element Films & Writer/ Director/ Producer Nak Muay said: “We are thrilled to secure funding and support from the UK Global Screen Fund for our upcoming four feature films which will support Disruptive’s global expansion and new focus on original IP.
Growing up watching action and martial arts films, I feel a strong sense of connection to the warrior lineage of my Asian heritage. Nak Muay is a visceral, action-driven exploration of resilience, redemption, and the true purpose of martial arts, set against the raw energy of Thailand’s Muay Thai culture. As a director with roots in sci-fi, fantasy, and martial arts, I’ve always sought the female characters I yearned for onscreen—powerful, complex, unyielding. This film wrestles with that desire, centring on Yod. His transformative relationship with the strong women around him is interwoven with his journey as a Muay Thai fighter grappling with his craft’s meaning and his own moral compass after a devastating breakdown.
For me this film is the chance to make the film I’ve always wanted to make as a woman and a martial arts practitioner.”
Producer Dominic Buchanan said:“I have been a longtime admirer of Tinge’s talent, vision and ambition as a filmmaker. It is rare to find a project that truly encapsulate’s everything that drives me as a producer. I’m so excited to help her and the team realise this project cinematically, and most importantly, to present it to audiences around the world.”
