Cover The Bangkok International Film Festival 2025 returns with over 200 films, including ‘Death Whisperer 3’ , Thailand’s most successful horror franchise. (Photo: IMDB)
The Bangkok International Film Festival 2025 returns with over 200 films, including ‘Death Whisperer 3’ , Thailand’s most successful horror franchise. (Photo: IMDB)
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The Bangkok International Film Festival returns with a spectacular lineup that proves the city’s status as Southeast Asia’s premier cinematic destination
After a 17-year absence, the Bangkok International Film Festival makes its triumphant return this autumn, transforming Thailand’s capital into a cinematic destination for 19 extraordinary days. Until October 15, the revitalised film festival will screen over 200 films from more than 40 countries at prestigious venues, including Major Cineplex, SF Cinema, House Samyan and Lido Connect. Whether you’re drawn to supernatural thrills, epic dramas or thought-provoking arthouse cinema, this carefully curated selection represents the very best of what global cinema has to offer right now.
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‘Kokuho’ (2025)
Above This three-hour epic immerses audiences in the highly disciplined world of Kabuki theatre, following an orphaned boy’s journey to artistic mastery. (Photo: IMDB)
This three-hour epic immerses audiences in the highly disciplined world of Kabuki theatre, following an orphaned boy’s journey to artistic mastery. (Photo: IMDB)
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Japan’s official Oscar submission closes the film festival with breathtaking artistry. This three-hour epic immerses audiences in the competitive world of Kabuki theatre, following orphaned Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa) as he’s taken under the wing of a famous master (Ken Watanabe). Director Sang-Il Lee’s 15-year passion project premiered at Cannes and has earned nearly US$95 million, proving that ambitious period dramas still captivate modern audiences.
‘Death Whisperer 3’ (2025)
Above Nadech Kugimiya returns as Yak in ‘Death Whisperer 3’, the opening night gala film that continues Thailand's record-breaking horror franchise. (Photo: IMDB)
Nadech Kugimiya returns as Yak in ‘Death Whisperer 3’, the opening night gala film that continues Thailand's record-breaking horror franchise. (Photo: IMDB)
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Thailand’s most successful horror franchise returns to launch the film festival with explosive energy. After the previous instalment shattered domestic box office records with US$24.7 million, this third chapter escalates the terror when protagonist Yak (Nadech Kugimiya) must rescue his kidnapped sister from a sinister cult. Venturing into the cursed village of Bongsanodbiang, he confronts vengeful spirits and uncovers the tragic origins of the malevolent Black Spirit that has haunted the series.
‘Crushed’ (2025)
Above A British priest and his Thai wife plunge into Bangkok’s criminal underworld after their daughter is kidnapped, forcing them to confront unimaginable moral choices. (Photo: IMDB)
A British priest and his Thai wife plunge into Bangkok’s criminal underworld after their daughter is kidnapped, forcing them to confront unimaginable moral choices. (Photo: IMDB)
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British director Simon Rumley’s provocative thriller, shot entirely in Bangkok, confronts uncomfortable truths about child trafficking and urban darkness. When a British priest’s (Steve Oram) daughter (Margaux Dietrich) is traumatised and subsequently kidnapped, her parents descend into the criminal underworld. With no musical score—only diegetic sound—this unflinching drama tests the boundaries of faith, morality and cinema itself, showcasing Thailand’s capabilities as an international production hub.
‘About a Place in the Kinki Region’ (2025)
Above Investigators discover that decades of unsolved paranormal cases are all connected to one forbidden location in Japan. (Photo: IMDB)
Investigators discover that decades of unsolved paranormal cases are all connected to one forbidden location in Japan. (Photo: IMDB)
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The legendary Koji Shiraishi, director of J-horror masterpiece Noroi: The Curse, returns to mockumentary horror with this chilling adaptation. When an occult magazine editor vanishes, his colleagues (Miho Kanno, Eiji Akaso) discover he’d been connecting unsolved paranormal cases to one forbidden location. Blending traditional cinematography with found footage, this film festival highlight builds atmospheric dread through its epistolary structure, culminating in an unforgettable finale.
‘A Pale View of Hills’ (2025)
Above Dual timelines explore an elderly widow’s fractured memories of post-war Nagasaki, where inconsistencies in her story reveal deep trauma and unspoken tragedy. (Photo: IMDB)
Dual timelines explore an elderly widow’s fractured memories of post-war Nagasaki, where inconsistencies in her story reveal deep trauma and unspoken tragedy. (Photo: IMDB)
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Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro’s haunting debut novel comes to life in this exquisite adaptation. Through dual timelines, an elderly Japanese widow in 1980s England recounts her memories of post-war Nagasaki to her daughter, but inconsistencies emerge. Director Kei Ishikawa, working closely with Ishiguro as executive producer, crafts a visually stunning meditation on trauma and unreliable memory. The film premiered at Cannes and features luminous performances from Suzu Hirose and Fumi Nikaido.
‘Ky Nam Inn’ (2025)
Above The tender connection of a young Northern translator and an older Southern widow in 1980s Saigon is thwarted by the political divides that lingered after the Vietnam War. (Photo: IMDB)
The tender connection of a young Northern translator and an older Southern widow in 1980s Saigon is thwarted by the political divides that lingered after the Vietnam War. (Photo: IMDB)
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This lyrical Vietnamese romance evokes In the Mood for Love with its nostalgic beauty and aching emotional restraint. Set in mid-1980s Saigon, a young Northern translator (Lien Binh Phat) and an older Southern widow (Do Thi Hai Yen) form a tender connection thwarted by post-war political divides. Shot on 35mm film—the first Vietnamese feature to do so in over 20 years—director Leon Le creates radiant, textured frames that transport viewers to a bygone era.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
