"Keng" Jira Maligool is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. He graduated in 1983 from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Communication Arts where he majored in film and photography. While still a student, he worked as a music video and movie commercial director.

In 1991, Jira co-founded his own film studio, Hub Ho Hin Bangkok (later Hub Ho Hin Films). In 2003, it was merged with GMM Grammy's film division GMM Pictures and Visute Poolvoralaks' company Tai Entertainment to form GMM Tai Hub (or GTH). In 2016, he became key person for GDH 559 a film studio that successor to GTH.

He was also behind the hit 2003 film "My Girl" (แฟนฉัน), a nostalgic look at childhood in 1980s Thailand. The film's ensemble of six directors were students of Jira, who taught as a part-time professor in photography and cinematography classes at Chulalongkorn University. Two of those directors, Komgrit and Songyos, went on to direct hit films.

Jira's second directorial effort "The Tin Mine" (มหา’ลัย เหมืองแร่) was a lavish production about a tin mine in southern Thailand in the 1950s. The film fared poorly at the Thai box-office, but it has won several awards. He won as best director and best screenplay in the 2002 Thailand National Film Awards for Mekhong Full Moon Party.

(Source: Wikipedia)