Introduction to the Bangkok International Film Festival
The Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF) has made a comeback after a 16-year absence, with the Grand Prix award going to Alexandre Koberidze’s "Dry leaf" and Nidhi Saxena’s "Secret of a mountain snake" winning the New Voices Award. The festival, which ran from September 27 to October 15, featured a range of films from around the world, including Germany, Georgia, India, and Portugal.
Winners of the International Competition Section
The winners of the International Competition Section included:
- Bangkok Grand Prix Award: "Dry leaf" by Alexandre Koberidze (Germany-Georgia)
- Special Jury Prize: "Sound of falling" by Mascha Schilinski (Germany-France)
- Best Director: Pedro Pinho for "I only rest in the storm" (Brazil)
New Voices Awards and Other Recognitions
The New Voices Awards, which showcase the work of first, second, and third-time Asian filmmakers, went to:
- Winner: "Secret of a mountain snake" by Nidhi Saxena (India)
- Special mention: "Hair, paper, water…" by Nicolas Graux and Truong Minh Quy (Belgium-Vietnam)
Other notable awards included the Thai Panorama Audience Award, which went to "Dream!" by Paul Spurrier.
Asian Short Film Competition
The Asian Short Film Competition saw the following winners:
- Best Asian Short Film: "Attack" by Awais Gohar (Pakistan) and "Delay" by Wang Han-Xuan (China-USA)
- Special mention: "Grandma Nai, who played favorites" by Chheongkeo (Cambodia-France-USA)
Festival Overview and Reception
The festival received support from local Thai distributors of foreign films, such as GDH and Sahamongkol International, which supplied a range of films, including Japanese and German productions. The festival director, Donsaron Kovitvaniycha, noted that despite the shorter preparation time due to bureaucratic issues, the festival went more smoothly than expected and ended successfully with the awards ceremony and the closing film "That’s it". The strong ticket sales and audience reception also led to a Thai distributor acquiring some international titles screened at the festival.
