The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF) is going ahead as scheduled on January 26 - February 5 despite doubts related to last month's military coup.

Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, the new co-festival director said the event would proceed albeit on a reduced scale.

There have been budget cuts of at least 25% and the number of films cut by 33% to around 100 but Chattan says more emphasis will be given to Asian films to better position BKKIFF as an effective forum and showcase of Asian cinema.

The coup delayed the appointment of a governor for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which is responsible for the film festival.

'The well-being of the festival is up to the new governor and the TAT board of directors. The selection process for a new governor has now restarted and the appointment will give a clearer direction to the festival,' says Chattan who is also director of TAT's international public relations.

"We didn't get the priorities right in the past - having forgotten a film festival is about film while tourism or a good international image is secondary."Chattan warned the next edition will have a "lot of shifting" although he pledged to make the changes as "cost-effective and elegant as possible."

While Major Cineplex's flagship multiplex at Siam Paragon will still be the main venue for all screenings and gala events, the Bangkok Film Market is set to move to the nearby InterContinental Hotel after receiving feedback from exhibitors who prefer more privacy.

Working alongside with Chattan is co-festival director Gary Dartnall, former head of BAFTA's LA branch who is part of the Film Festival Management team that TAT hires for BKKIFF. Both festival directors consult with each other and assume joint responsibility for all decisions