The Bangkok International Film Festival has revealed further details of its upcoming fifth edition which will be held July 19-29 following a postponement from January.

According to a statement issued today, Asian cinema will take centre stage at the festival this year. More than 100 films from about 30 countries will be screened, of which about 50% are dedicated to Asia.

'Asian films are in vogue now,' said programme director Kriengsak 'Victor' Silakong. The Asian cinema section will have about 30 films whereas the Thai Panorama section will feature 12 newly released films. The opening film is also tipped to be Thai.

In line with the strong Asian focus, the jury members for the Golden Kinnaree Awards will be mostly from Asia. The competition will be expanded to three sections this year: international; ASEAN, which will have about 10 films from countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, and short films which is a new addition.

Thai subtitles are expected to be in place for most of the competition titles, as organisers Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) also aim to focus on cultural and technical areas, according to Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, who now assumes the role of chief officer overseeing the event.

As Screen reported earlier, this year's event will be streamlined due to a more modest budget compared to previous editions. There will still be a red carpet opening night which will be held in SF Cinema City's new 800-seat auditorium at its 15-screen multiplex in Central World. Other screenings will be held in the smaller 200-seat halls.

The Bangkok Film Market will be organised by the Federation of National Film Association of Thailand in conjunction with the festival from July 23-25 at Siam Paragon, about a 10-minute walk from Central World.

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