Joel Soh (born August 16, 1987) is a Malaysian film director, producer and writer. He is the founder and managing director of his own production company Blackflag, and most recognized for his works in the Polis Evo franchise. Recognized for his contributions to Malaysian cinema, Joel’s films have a combined box office of over RM100 million, making him one of the highest grossing film producers in Malaysia, with Polis Evo 3 collecting RM54 million.
Joel Soh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 16, 1987 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia |
| Alma mater | Taylor's University Emerson College |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Employer | Blackflag Malaysia |
| Notable work | Polis Evo |
Early life and Education
editJoel was born in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia, a coastal town where his interests in the creative arts developed at a young age.
He moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2005, at the age of 18, to pursue filmmaking at the National Cultural Arts and Heritage Academy (ASWARA). That year, he was awarded the Astro Scholarship Award and was given the opportunity to complete his Cambridge A-Levels at Taylor’s University, and to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree at Emerson College, Boston, where he graduated with summa cum laude honor and was inducted in the Gold Key Honor Society.
Career
editEarly Career at Astro Shaw
After graduating, he returned to Malaysia and worked in Tayangan Unggul (a company under Astro) as a production executive. During his tenure, he was involved in multiple films in various capacities including the two critically acclaimed blockbusters:
Franchise Breakthrough
In 2015, Joel created the action-comedy film Polis Evo where he served as producer and lead-writer along with his co-workers Kyle Goonting and Anwari Ashraf, who were the recipients of the ‘Astro Scholarship Award’. [1] The movie was a nationwide commercial success, grossing RM18 million, making it the highest-grossing Malaysian film at the time. Polis Evo also earned eight nominations at the 2016 Malaysian Film Festival, where it garnered two wins for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ and ‘Best Cinematography’ and received the ‘Special Jury Award’ for highest box office.
Polis Evo’s success led Joel to co-found Blackflag in 2017, where he served as Managing Director. At Blackflag, Joel began work on Polis Evo 2, which he co-directed alongside Andre Chiew. Released in 2018, the sequel outperformed its predecessor, earning over RM20 million at the Malaysian box office.
Polis Evo 2 was a major milestone in Joel’s career. With a production budget three times higher than the original, Polis Evo 2 was also the first Astro Shaw film to enter the Indonesian market. Joel and Andre also received nominations for ‘Best Upcoming Directors’ at the 30th Malaysia Film Festival.
In 2019, Joel produced and wrote the franchise's third installment, Polis Evo 3. The film was released in 2023, earned over RM54 million, and achieved blockbuster status as one of the highest-grossing Malaysian films of all time. During its opening weekend, it overshadowed the Hollywood blockbuster Fast X at the Malaysian box office, grossing RM1.3 million from sneak previews alone and RM2.1 million on its opening day. Polis Evo 3 is ranked no. 1 box office film in Malaysia for the year 2023 despite international competition.
Actor Sharnaaz Ahmad credited Joel for supporting his part in the film despite rumors about his alleged difficult behavior on set.
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Credited as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Producer | Writer | Director | |||
| 2009 | Room 1821 | Yes | No | Yes | Short film; also as editor, and art director |
| 2011 | Angela | Yes | Yes | Short film | |
| 2012 | TTMF | ||||
| 2014 | The Journey | Associate | No | No | |
| 2015 | Cemetery of Splendour | Associate | No | No | |
| Polis Evo | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 2016 | Ola Bola | Associate | No | No | |
| 2018 | Polis Evo 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with Andre Chiew |
| 2023 | Polis Evo 3 | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2024 | The Experts | Yes | Yes | No | |
| TBA | Baran † | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Awards and nominations
edit- Special Jury Award for Highest Box Office, Film Festival Malaysia 2016 (Polis Evo)
- Best Producer, PROFIMA Award 2017 (Polis Evo)
- Best Supporting Actor, 30th Malaysia Film Festival (Polis Evo 2)
- Nominated for Best Upcoming Directors, 30th Malaysia Film Festival (Polis Evo 2)
- Best Producer, PROFIMA Award 2019 (Polis Evo 2)
- Achievement in Film Box Office, Spotlight: Apresiasi Sinema Malaysia 2023 (Polis Evo 3)
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia Film Festival | 2016 | Best Film | Polis Evo | Nominated | [1] |
| Best Screenplay | Nominated[a] | [1] | |||
| Special Jury Award | Won | [2] | |||
| Box Office Award | Won[b] | [2] | |||
| 2018 | Most Promising Director | Polis Evo 2 | Nominated[c] |
Notes
edit- ^ Shared with Kyle Goonting, Anwari Ashraf and Adib Zaini
- ^ For racking RM17.74 million in mandatory 'Skim Wajib Tayang'
- ^ Shared with Andre Chiew
References
edit- ^ a b "Astro dominasi pencalonan akhir FFM28". www.astroawani.com. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ a b Chua, Dennis (9 September 2016). "28th Malaysian Film Festival: Big names, big wins | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 29 February 2024.