The Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF) ( th, เทศกาลภาพยนตร์นานาชาติกรุงเทพฯ) is an international

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...

held annually in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, since 2003. In addition to film screenings, seminars, gala events and the Golden Kinnaree Awards.

History

First years

The Bangkok International Film Festival was first held in 2003 and was organized by

Nation Multimedia Group Nation Group (Thailand) Public Company Limited (NATION) ( th, บริษัท เนชั่น กรุ๊ป (ไทยแลนด์) จำกัด (มหาชน)) is one of Thailand's largest media companies. The company operates tw ...

in cooperation with the

Tourism Authority of Thailand The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) ( th, การท่องเที่ยวแห่งประเทศไทย) is an organization of Thailand under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Its mandate is to promote Thailand's tourism in ...

, or TAT. Before 2003, the Nation Group had organized the Bangkok Film Festival (note, no "international" in the title), first held in 1998. After the 2003 event, the Nation Group, and the TAT split. The TAT continued with the Bangkok International Film Festival in 2004, while Nation Multimedia founded the

World Film Festival of Bangkok The World Film Festival of Bangkok ( th, เทศกาลภาพยนตร์โลกแห่งกรุงเทพฯ) is an annual international film festival held in Bangkok, Thailand. The 15th World Film Festival of Bangkok, the l ...

, which was first held in October 2003. For management of the Bangkok International Film Festival, the TAT awarded a contract to a

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

firm, Festival Management, which programmed the festival from 2003 to 2006. Such celebrities as

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the ag ...

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...

Bai Ling Bai Ling (, born October 10, 1966) is a Chinese-American actress known for her work in the films '' The Crow'', ''Nixon'', ''Red Corner'', '' Crank: High Voltage'', ''Dumplings'', ''Wild Wild West'', ''Anna and the King'', ''Southland Tales'', an ...

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultim ...

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...

and

Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designer. H ...

were flown to Bangkok to attend the festivals, and were present for such events as

red carpet A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events. History The earliest known reference ...

-festooned opening ceremonies, cocktail parties and awards banquets.

Post-coup festival, bribery scandal

After the

2006 Thai coup d'état The 2006 Thai ''coup d'état'' took place on 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a '' coup d'état'' against the elected caretaker government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The ''coup d'état'', which was Thailand's f ...

, the government installed by the military-run

Council for National Security The Council for National Security ( th, คณะมนตรีความมั่นคงแห่งชาติ; ) or CNS ( th, คมช.), formerly known as the Council for Democratic Reform ( th, คณะปฏิรูปการป ...

reduced the budget for the film festival by two-thirds from 180 million

baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; sign: ฿; code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. SWIFT ranked the Thai baht as the 10th-m ...

to 60 million baht. As a result of the cuts, the TAT broke its management contract with Festival Management and then postponed the 2007 edition of the festival from January to July. With a focus on Asian cinema, the resulting festival was a lower-key affair than in previous years. However, it did host a visit by Indian actress

Hema Malini Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successfu ...

, who was the subject of a retrospective program.BKK International Film Festival reschedules
, ''The Nation'', 2007-02-22. Following the 2007 event, management of the festival was transferred from the TAT to the Department of Export Promotion. In December 2007, the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

arrested Gerald and Patricia Green, the owners of Festival Management. In an affidavit by a

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice ...

agent, the Greens were accused of violating the

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) (, ''et seq.'') is a United States federal law that prohibits U.S. citizens and entities from bribing foreign government officials to benefit their business interests. The FCPA is applicable worl ...

for their alleged payment of US$1.7 million in

bribe Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corru ...

s to a person the affidavit identified as the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. In Thailand, Juthamas Siriwan, who served as TAT governor from 2002 to 2006, denied any wrongdoing. Still, in the days before the December 23, 2007, general election, she resigned from the For the Motherland party, of which she served as deputy leader.DSI to look at US case
''The Nation (Thailand)''; retrieved 2007-12-25 As an appointed Governor of the TAT by Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai Government, the former governor is now indicted in the USA for taking bribes concerning the film festival. In late February 2008, the website of the TAT announced that the 2008 Bangkok International Film Festival would be held in July. It was then postponed and held in September 2008, with TAT as the main sponsor but with the Federation of National Film Associations and the Thai Film Directors Association as the organizers.

Program

Competition program

International competition

Up to 12 international feature films can be selected for competition and judged by an international jury. Awards are presented for Best International Film, Best International Director, Best International Actor, and Best International Actress.

ASEAN competition

Seeks to present the best films from the past year from

ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, milita ...

countries:

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by th ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

. The films in this competition are judged by members of

FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

, the International Federation of Film Critics, and the winning film receives the Golden Kinaree for Best ASEAN Film.

Reel World

A program of recent feature-length documentaries collected from countries all around the world. A Golden Kinnaree is awarded for Best International Feature Documentary.

New Voices

A selection of 10 to 15 international features from first- or second-time feature directors. The winning film will be presented with the award for Best New Director.

Asian Short Films

This competition includes live-action, animation, and documentary short films from all over Asia. There is an award presented for Best Asian Short Film.

Non-competition program

Thai Panorama

A collection of what the organizers determine as the most distinctive

Thai films The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by François-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited. This sparke ...

made and released over the past 12 months, as well as premieres of new films made in Thailand.

Tributes and retrospectives

Each year, the festival offers a glimpse into the life and career of its honored film personalities, including directors, actors, and technicians, through a selection of what the organizers consider their finest cinematic moments.

Special presentations

This program consists of gala premieres and special screenings of new releases as well as restored copies of old classics, frequently accompanied by special festive activities such as concerts, outdoor screenings, and appearances by stars, directors, and crew members of the old films.

Windows on the World

A celebration of what the organizers determine to be the best of the world cinema, showcasing about 80 films from countries around the world, reflecting the international language of cinema. The selection includes critically acclaimed films from other leading festivals such as the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

, and

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

Golden Kinnaree Awards

The annual Awards Gala presents The Golden Kinnaree Awards to the winning films and filmmakers. Awards are presented in the following categories:

Competitive awards

* Best Film * Best Director * Best Actor * Best Actress * Best Cinematographer * Best ASEAN Film * Best Asian Short Film * Best Feature Documentary * New Voices Award (Best New Director) * The Jameson Thai People's Choice Award

Achievement Awards

* Lifetime Achievement Award(s) * Career Achievement Award(s) * Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of Asian Cinema * Crystal Lens Award (Career Achievement in Cinematography) * Asian Eyes Award (Excellence in Asian Cinematography) * Thai Box Office Award (highest-grossing Thai film in the previous year)

Particular years

* 2003 Bangkok International Film Festival * 2004 Bangkok International Film Festival * 2005 Bangkok International Film Festival *

2006 Bangkok International Film Festival The 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from February 17 to February 27. The festival's events were held in the newly opened Siam Paragon, the first time all the festival's screenings, sidebar events, activities and film market were g ...

2007 Bangkok International Film Festival The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from July 19 to July 29, 2007, at SF Group's SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. The fifth consecutive year for the festival, organizers planned a program of about 100 films, with an emphasis on ...

References

External links

Official website

{{Bangkok International Film Festival Recurring events established in 2003 2003 establishments in Thailand Annual events in Thailand