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.
Busan Int’l Film Festival turns 30 with star-studded lineup, new awards
Park Kwang-su, center, chair of the Busan International Film Festival, speaks during a press conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of organizing committee
By Baek Byung-yeul
The 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will be a star-studded affair with an unprecedented lineup of renowned filmmakers and actors from around the world, including Sean Baker and Guillermo del Toro, the organizers said Tuesday.
"We have built the best-ever international guest lineup for the 30th anniversary," Jung Han-seok, director of the festival, said during a press conference in Seoul. "The greatest filmmakers of our time will all gather in Busan next month."
This year's BIFF, running from Sept. 17 to 26, promises a cinematic feast with 241 films to be screened, an increase of 17 from last year. The biggest difference of this year’s event is that it now transforms its format from a noncompetitive to a competitive format.
The festival has secured the attendance of prominent figures such as global luminaries, including Iranian master Jafar Panahi, who will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award during the festival. Panahi won the Palme d'Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for "It's Just a Small Accident.”
American director Sean Baker, whose 2024 film "Anora" won four Academy Awards this year, will attend as a producer for the competitive section's entry, "Left-Handed Girl." Acclaimed Mexican director Guillermo del Toro is also set to meet Korean audiences with his Netflix film "Frankenstein.”
In a landmark move, the festival is introducing a new competitive section called the Busan Awards, which will feature 14 Asian films, such as Zhang Lu's “Gloaming in Luomu” and Sho Miyake’s "Two Seasons, Two Strangers,” which stars Korean actor Shim Eun-kyung.
The awards will be given in five categories: Best Film Award, Best Director Award, Special Jury Award, Best Actor Award and Artistic Contribution Award. The winners will be announced at the closing ceremony.
The festival will open with the world premiere of director Park Chan-wook's new film “No Other Choice." The film has already garnered attention, as it's the first Korean film in 13 years to be invited to this year’s Venice International Film Festival's competitive section. Actor Lee Byung-hun, who stars in the film, will also host the festival’s opening ceremony.
Actor Claudia Kim will host the closing ceremony, during which the winners of the newly established Busan Awards will be announced. The organizing committee said the winners would be kept a secret until the very end to "maintain suspense until the closing ceremony."
Park Kwang-su, chair of the festival, said the candidates in the competitive section will provide an opportunity for reevaluation from an Asian perspective.
"The films in this competitive section will be reevaluated through the lens of Asian people. Through this, we will present a new perspective on how to view Asian cinema," the chair said. "We don't expect the new format to be perfectly complete all at once. We will continue to think and make adjustments."
The chair also said the event has been prepared to be more visitor-friendly.
"We will make sure the film festival doesn't feel daunting to moviegoers," Park said. "We plan to offer a child care service on the first floor of the Busan Cinema Center for parents with children aged 3 to 8, so they can enjoy the festival."