First years

The Bangkok International Film Festival was first held in 2003 and was organized by Nation Multimedia Group in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT. Before 2003, the Nation Group had organized the Bangkok Film Festival (note, no "international" in the title), first held in 1998.^[2] 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, 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 firm, Festival Management, which programmed the festival from 2003 to 2006.

Such celebrities as Catherine Deneuve, Jeremy Irons, Michael Douglas, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Bai Ling, Christopher Lee, Oliver Stone, Terry Gilliam and Joel Schumacher were flown to Bangkok to attend the festivals, and were present for such events as red carpet-festooned opening ceremonies, cocktail parties and awards banquets.^[3][4][5]

Post-coup festival, bribery scandal

After the 2006 Thai coup d'état, the government installed by the military-run Council for National Security reduced the budget for the film festival by two-thirds from 180 million baht 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, who was the subject of a retrospective program.^[6][7]

Following the 2007 event, management of the festival was transferred from the TAT to the Department of Export Promotion.^[8]

In December 2007, the United States Department of Justice arrested Gerald and Patricia Green, the owners of Festival Management. In an affidavit by a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, the Greens were accused of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for their alleged payment of US$1.7 million in bribes to a person the affidavit identified as the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.^[9]

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.^[10][11][12]

As an appointed Governor of the TAT by Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai Government, the former governor is now indicted in the US 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.

Competition program

Non-competition program

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)