Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
29th Busan Int’l Film Festival kicks off
Kim Sang-man, second from left, the director of Netflix’s film “Uprising,” poses with the movie's actors during the red carpet event of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opening ceremony at the Busan Cinema Center, Wednesday. "Uprising" was selected as the opening film of the festival, which will run until Oct. 11. From left, excluding the director, are actors Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min, Kim Shin-rok and Cha Seung-won. Yonhap
By Baek Byung-yeul
BIFF targets mainstream audiences with Netflix opener
BUSAN — The 29th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Asia's largest film festival, kicked off Wednesday with an emphasis on attracting wider audiences through accessible selections, ranging from opening films to special programs.
This year's BIFF has generated excitement with its most groundbreaking approach yet, embracing movies and series content from streaming platforms. The move can be viewed as the local film industry's effort to find a breakthrough as the Korean film scene continues to face challenges in the post-pandemic era.
The festival will screen 279 films from 63 countries across 26 screens at five theaters in Busan, including screens at the Busan Cinema Center.
The most notable aspect of the 11-day event is the inclusion of content from global streaming platforms such as Netflix and local platform Tving. Notably, Netflix’s upcoming film "Uprising" has been selected as the opening film. This is the first time a Netflix production has held this honor in the festival's history.
A memorial video of the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, who posthumously received the Korean Cinema Award, is shown during the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival at Busan Cinema Center, Wednesday. Yonhap
Produced and co-written by “Old Boy” (2003) director Park Chan-wook, the movie follows the son (Park Jeong-min) of a powerful nobleman and his servant and friend (Gang Dong-won) as they turn their swords on each other, set during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
The main actors of the film said they were happy that "Uprising" was selected as the opening film at BIFF.
“'Uprising' was selected as the opening film at BIFF and we are very happy to be able to visit Busan,” Gang said during a press conference after the film's premiere.
In response to criticism about the decline of the Korean film scene since the pandemic, Park said that if actors and staff continue to strive for higher quality films, the industry could regain more attention and appreciation.
“If the staff and actors in the movie scene always continue to work hard to make movies, I think we will be able to show our movies at such great festivals and Korean movies will be loved by many people,” he said.
Movie fans stand in line to buy Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) merchandise at Busan Cinema Center, Wednesday. Yonhap
Regarding the decision to choose a streaming platform film rather than a theatrical release as the opener, Park Do-sin, co-deputy director of the festival, said, "We didn't worry about it being a Netflix film and made our decision based on the work itself. We won't exclude content from streaming platforms from the festival in the future either."
Director Yeon Sang-ho, best known for his work on the zombie film "Train to Busan" (2016), will debut the second season of the Netflix series "Hellbound" at the festival. Additionally, Netflix will showcase "Beyond Goodbye," featuring Japanese heartthrob actor Kentaro Sakaguchi.
Tving, a domestic streaming platform, will present its upcoming original content "Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard" and "Way Back Love."
Apple TV+ has two documentaries, including "The Last of the Sea Women," invited to the festival's Wide Angle, a documentary competition section.
Citizens walk past posters of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday. The BIFF will be held in the city from Wednesday to Oct. 11. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
In addition to the streaming platform works designed for broader appeal, BIFF is also showcasing films that cater to true movie lovers.
Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa will receive this year's Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award, and his two recent works "Serpent's Path" and "Cloud" will also be featured. In addition to the Japanese film master, Miguel Gomes, who won the Best Director award with "Grand Tour" at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and Chinese director Ann Hui will visit Busan to share their cinematic experiences at the Master Class section of the festival.
The Asia Contents & Film Market will take place for four days, from Saturday to Tuesday, during the film festival. This event serves as a comprehensive content market for trading a wide range of materials, including film and video content, as well as intellectual properties such as stories.
This year's event will feature enhanced programs such as the Producers Hub, which will serve as a platform for international co-productions, and the artificial intelligence (AI) conference, which will discuss the convergence of technology and film, the organizers said.