BIFF to police actresses' 'overexposure'
Actresses (from left to right) Oh In-hye, Han Su-ah and Kang Han-na on the red carpet at the Busan International Film Festival.
Organizers of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) have decided to act as fashion police to deter actresses from “over-exposing” themselves. The fete will kick off its 10-day run on October 2.
BIFF, the nation’s biggest international film fete, has drawn the media’s attention for the daring display of a skimpy wardrobe by female actresses, some of whom have become overnight celebrities.
"We’ve decided to switch the atmosphere in order to shift the spotlight to the directors, actors and actresses instead of some female celebrities who are new and receive more attention because of their revealing dresses," BIFF public relations manager Kim Jung-yoon said.
To enforce this rebalancing act, the organizers have called off the troublesome “Blue Carpet” affair, the venue for photo-ops under the sponsorship of talent agencies, which are suspected of doing what it may take to promote their proteges.
The Red Carpet event, however, will proceed as scheduled at the start of the festival.
Obviously, the organizers believe that established actresses participating in the opening act wouldn’t have a reason to do the daring wardrobe act.
“We can’t dictate the participants what to wear or what not to wear,” Kim said.
The change was predicted. In September, Lee Yong-kwan, head of the BIFF’s organizing committee, declared, “This year, we want to make a festival focused on the films, which is why we are cancelling the Blue Carpet.”
Oh In-hye, a little-known actress in 2011, wore an orange Grecian dress that barely covered her breasts.
Last year, actress Han Su-ah showed up in a golden dress with a plunging chest line and a split-cut at the side of her dress.
Then there was actress Kang Han-na, who wore backless number that exposed far more than her back.
All three of them turned into instant celebrities, their photos virtually going viral on the Internet.
"I think just as long as there's no harming other people involved, people should be free to dress however you want on the red carpet," said Oh Jung-hee, a sophomore at Yonsei University.
"Being a celebrity should mean that you have talent as well as the ability to grab attention. The red carpet is made for celebrities to show off their appearance, after all.”