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Lee Yong-kwan, director of the Busan International Film Festival, speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Sept. 4. (provided by the Busan International Film Festival)
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303 films from 85 countries, including 120 world premieres, to be screened
The Busan International Film Festival, which celebrates its 24th edition this year, announced plans for a “new leap forward” while sharing its opening and closing selections and program for this year. The festival, which has experienced difficulties since issues with pressure over the screening of the documentary “The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol” in 2014, previously announced plans for “normalization” last year. The latest declaration signals its plans to pursue new strides through large-scale changes this year. “We’ve been undertaking major organizational, personnel, and program changes since early this year,” explained festival director Lee Yong-kwan in a Sept. 4 press conference at the Press Center on Seoul’s Taepyeong Road. “We will commit our full energies to enabling BIFF to make new strides as a global film festival for its 25th anniversary this year,” Lee pledged. Taking place at the Busan Cinema Center and other venues on Oct. 3–12, this year’s festival is to include 303 films from 85 countries. A total of 120 films are to have their world premieres there, including 97 feature films and 23 short films. “Ninety-seven feature film world premieres is a number we could never have imagined as recently as last year,” said Jeon Yang-joon, director of the festival’s executive committee. “I think the outcome is a reflection of BIFF’s global network and the expectations of people around the world for Asia’s only major film festival,” he added. The opening selection is to be “The Horse Thieves, Roads of Time” by Kazakh director Yerlan Nurmukhambetov, while the closing selection will be director Lim Dae-hyung’s “To Yoonhee.” Both represent the latest works by directors who received the New Currents Award at past editions of BIFF; this marks the first time works by previous New Currents winners have been selected simultaneously as opening and closing films – in what could be seen as a sign of the festival’s success in discovering new directors. A melodrama starring actor Kim Hee-ae, “To Yoonhee,” is scheduled for release in November. Heavyweight directors present new works for gala presentation New works by heavyweight directors were also invited for the gala presentation. Among the works being shown are “The Truth,” the latest work by director Hirokazu Koreeda (also the opening selection for the currently running Venice International Film Festival), and “Coming Home Again,” a new film by Wayne Wang. Also drawing attention is the Netflix production “The King” about Henry V of England. The latest film by popular Hollywood director David Michod, it stars Timothee Chalamet, who has risen to stardom following his appearance in “Call Me by Your Name.” A total of four Netflix films were invited to the event. “Our principle is, we don’t care about the platform if the film is good,” said Jeon Yang-joon. The Asian Film Market is also pursuing an expansion beyond film into general video content, including television series, publications, and webtoons. As part of this, Cha Seung-jae and Oh Dong-jin have been newly named as steering committee co-chairs. “We will be holding the first Asia Content Awards this year,” said Cha, who shared ambitious plans for “becoming the most influential video content market in Asia.” Also part of the schedule this year is a special program showing 10 of the Hankyoreh and CJ Cultural Foundation’s 100 selections for the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema this year – including “The Housemaid” and “Memories of Murder” – and the “Community BIFF” event, consisting chiefly of citizen-led programs in the old city center, including the Nampo neighborhood. “There are going to be a lot of programs that visitors can enjoy taking part in, including a conversation with actor Kim Ji-mee,” said Cho Won-hee, co-chair of the Community BIFF steering committee. By Suh Min-jung, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
