The 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from February 17 to February 27. The festival's events were held in the newly opened Siam Paragon, the first time all the festival's screenings, sidebar events, activities and film market were gathered under one roof.
The festival opened with the Asian premiere of Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's Invisible Waves. The closing film was Rent by Chris Columbus.
Celebrity highlights included director Terry Gilliam giving a master class, actor Christopher Lee giving a talk and introducing a screening of The Man with the Golden Gun, as well as appearances by Catherine Deneuve, Willem Dafoe, Tadanobu Asano, Rita Moreno, Rufus Sewell, director Oliver Stone and cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
Water, directed by Deepa Mehta
The Consequences of Love, directed by Palo Sorrentino
The House of Sand, directed by Andrucha Waddington
Invisible Waves, directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Istanbul Tales, directed by Umit Unal, Kudret Sabanci, Elim Demirdelen, Yucel Yolcu and Omur Atay
Mrs. Henderson Presents, directed by Stephen Frears
Ringfinger, directed by Diane Bertrand
River Queen, directed by Vincent Ward
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance by Park Chan-wook
Transamerica, directed by Duncan Tucker
Tsotsi, directed by Gavin Hood
The White Masai, directed by Hermine Huntgeburth
Park Chan-Wook, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Presley Chweneyagae, Tsotsi
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Bride of Silence, directed by Đoàn Minh Phượng and Doàn Thanh Nghia
3 Friends, directed by Mingmongkol Sonakul, Pumin Chinaradee and Aditya Assarat
Ahimsa: Stop to Run, directed by Kittikorn Laiwsirikun
The Burnt Theater, directed by Rithy Panh
Gie, directed by Riri Riza
Goalposts & Lipsticks, directed by Bernard Chauly
The Gravel Road, directed by Deepak Kumaran Menon
Janji Joni, directed by Joko Anwar
Journey from the Fall, directed by Ham Tran
Magdalena: The Unholy Saint, directed by Laurice Guillen
The Masseur, directed by Brillante Mendoza
Monday Morning Glory, directed by Woo Ming Jin
The Tin Mine, directed by Jira Maligool
Unarmed Combat, directed by Han Yew Kwang
Kept and Dreamless, directed by Vera Fogwill and Martin Desalvo
A Common Thread, directed by Eléonore Faucher
Dreaming Lhasa, directed by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam
Go West, directed by Ahmed Imamovic
The Intruder, directed by Frank Van Mechelen
Kissed By Winter, directed by Sara Johnsen
The Married Woman, directed by Pradeep Sarkar
Milarepa: Revenge, directed by Neten Chokling
On My Skin, directed by Valerio Jalongo
Parzania, directed by Rahul Dholakia
Reaching Silence, directed by Jahar Kanungo
Ryna, directed by Ruxandra Zenide
The Sacred Family, directed by Sebastián Campos Watt
Season of the Horse, directed by Ning Cai
Sophie Scholl – The Final Days, directed by Marc Rothemund
Stoned!, directed by Steven Woolley
Three Dots, directed by Roya Sadat
Rize, directed by David LaChapelle
Honorable mention - Ballets Russes, directed by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller
Honorable mention - In the Shadow of the Palms, directed by Wayne Coles-Janess
Africa United, directed by Ólaf Jóhannesson
Before the Flood, directed by Li Yifan and Yan Yu
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, directed by Fatih Akın
Linda & Ali, Two Worlds Within Four Walls, directed by Lut Vandekeybus
Nice Hat! 5 Enigmas in the Life of Cambodia, directed by David Brisbin
Switch Off (Apaga y vámonos), directed by Manel Mayol
The Art of Flight, directed by Davin Anders Hutchins
The Giant Buddhas, directed by Christian Frei
The Stories from the North, directed by Uruphong Raksasad
Vajra Sky Over Tibet, directed by John Bush
Jameson Best Asian Short Film – Under Construction, directed by Lee Hyung-Suk
Jameson People's Choice Award – Art of the Devil 2, directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri, Art Thamthrakul, Yosapong Polsap, Putipong Saisikaew, Isara Nadee, Pasith Buranajan and Seree Pongniti
Jury Mention – Istanbul Tales, directed by Umit Unal, Kudret Sabanci, Elim Demirdelen, Yucel Yolcu and Omur Atay
Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of Asian Cinema – Wouter Barendrecht and Michael J. Werner of Fortissimo Films.
Crystal Lens Award – Anthony Dod Mantle
Career Achievement Award – Catherine Deneuve
Lifetime Achievement Award – Sombat Metanee
Ahead of the 2006 festival, Somsak Techaratanaprasert, the president of the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand, called for a boycott of the festival by group members, because festival organizers, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, had not included Federation in the film-selection process and marketing plans for the festival, as it had in past years. Member film studios Five Star Production, GTH and RS Promotion did not agree with the boycott, which led to Somsak, also the chief executive of Sahamongkol Film International, to resign as chairman of the Federation. But as a result of the boycott, some films produced or distributed by Sahamongkol were pulled from the festival program.
