The organisers of the Bangkok International Film Festival (BIFF) - English-language newspaper, The Nation, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) - have decided to postpone the event from November until January next year.

Meanwhile, a second event is being organised by the festival's former director, Brian Bennett, and is set to run in the Thai capital from the end of this month.

The five-year-old BIFF will now take place January 10-21 to coincide with a range of promotional events organised by TAT. However, the festival will retain much of its previously announced programme, including opening night films - Federico Fellini's 8 ' and Francois Ozon's 8 Femmes.

BIFF also plans to screen a wide range of Asian films including Chicken Poets from China, Taiwan's Blue Gate Crossing and Indian-French co-production, Shadow Kill. It will also feature a competitive section to be announced after the Pusan International Film Festival next month. About 15 films will vie for the event's top award, the Golden Kinnaree.

The BFF - which is supported by the Nation's English-language rival, the Bangkok Post - is set to run October 24 - November 3. The festival will feature the world premiere of US comedy, Welcome To Ibiza, which was partly shot in Thailand, and several Latin American or Latino-themed films including Sundance title Manito.