Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
28th BIFF 'It has a lot to offer': BIFF takes off after management turmoil
Actor Park Eun-bin hosts the opening ceremony for the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held at the Busan Cinema Center's outdoor theater, Wednesday. Courtesy of BIFF
By Lee Gyu-lee
BUSAN ― The 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) finally began its 10-day run in the southeastern port city of Busan, Wednesday, after months of managerial turmoil resulting in two resignations and a dismissal.
Following the consecutive resignations of festival director Huh Moon-young and chairman Lee Yong-kwan five months before the autumn event, BIFF continued with the festival, moving deputy director Kang Seung-ah to replace the dismissed managing director Cho Jong-kook and program director Nam Dong-chul for Huh.
Award-winning actor Song Kang-ho stepped in as this year's host, marking a high-profile replacement after the departure of the previous chairperson, as the organizing committee tried to steer the festival back on course.
"Although there were challenges leading up to the festival, it kicks off today with the opening ceremony and will run for 10 days. I believe we are well-prepared. While there may be areas we fall short, I am anticipating many positive aspects that people can take away from it and write articles about," Nam said during a press conference for the opening film “Because I Hate Korea” at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday.
“We’ve prepared a lot and the festival has a lot to offer. So I hope people can come and enjoy.”
Actor Song Kang-ho greets guests during a red carpet event held at the Busan Cinema Center's outdoor theater, Wednesday. Courtesy of BIFF
Asia’s largest film festival, running through Oct. 15, opened at the Busan Cinema Center, with a red carpet event featuring big-name actors from Korea and abroad, including Song Joong-ki, Han Hyo-joo, Fan Bingbing, John Cho and Yoo Yeon-seok, as well as Chow Yun-fat, this year’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year recipient.
Following the red carpet opening, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon officially declared the festival open, emphasizing the global status BIFF has achieved and wishing for another successful run.
“Nowadays, when many people think of Busan, they associate it with the ‘sea’ and ‘film.’ It’s all thanks to movie fans and filmmakers like you who have elevated the BIFF to a global cinematic event,” the mayor said.
“Cinema, as an art form, as a medium for conveying social messages and as an industry; such multifaceted charms have brought us together to the same time and place. Through cinema, I hope we can communicate, reconcile and dream together this year again."
The cast members of Korean film "Hopeless" pose during a red carpet event, Wednesday. Courtesy of BIFF
Actor Park Eun-bin of the 2022 smash hit series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” hosted the opening ceremony, which ended with the screening of the opening film. She became the first solo emcee in the festival’s history, as the original co-host, actor Lee Je-hoon, canceled last-minute due to a health issue.
“It was so meaningful to be the first solo emcee of BIFF. I am truly grateful for your warm support and applause,” Park said. “What a beautiful night it is to celebrate the opening! I hope that your next 10 days are filled with wonderful memories and experiences."
This year’s BIFF dialed down on its official selection with 209 films from 69 countries, including the closing film, “The Movie Emperor” by director Ning Hao, whereas last year's event hosted 240 films from 71 countries.
Korean American actor John Cho walks the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival, Wednesday. Courtesy of BIFF
In spite of the slight reduction, it will feature a wide selection from influential auteurs’ latest films, like David Fincher’s “The Killer” and acclaimed global film festival winners like Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” as well as cinematic works with refreshing takes, like BIFF film academy alumna Purevdash Zoljargal’s “If Only I Could Hibernate.”
This year’s “Gala Presentation” will screen Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster,” which notched Best Screenplay at Cannes, Bertrand Bonello’s “Beast” and Han Shuai’s “Green Night.”
For the New Currents section, purposed to recognize emerging Asian directors, a total of 10 films will compete for the award, including Bangladesh director Biplob Sarkar’s “The Stranger,” Japanese director Yamamoto Akira's “After the Fever” and director Sohn Hyun-lok’s “That Summer’s Lie.”
Six original series from streaming platforms will be featured in BIFF's "On Screen" section, highlighting the emergence and growing influence of streaming services in the industry. Among those, five are Korean titles, including Wavve’s “The Deal,” Disney+’s “Vigilante” and Tving’s “A Bloody Lucky Day.”
For the first time, the Asia Contents Awards will include global streaming service content, adding five new award categories under the name Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards. A total of 17 categories will be presented at the awards ceremony, set for Oct. 8 at the Busan Cinema Center’s BIFF Theater.
A scene from the film "The Stranger" / Courtesy of BIFF
Three Special Programs in Focus are organized throughout the festival: “Chow Yun Fat: True Colors of a Hero,” dedicated to the Hong Kong actor; “Korean Diasporic Cinema," which will spotlight Korean American narratives in Hollywood; and "Renaissance of Indonesian Cinema," which will recognize works from Indonesia, an emerging film powerhouse.
The festival will also have a special commemoration event for the late actress Yoon Jeong-hee, who was one of the biggest stars of Korean cinema in the 1960s and 1970s. Yoon, who starred in various award-winning films such as "Manmubang” (1994) and "Poetry" (2010), passed away earlier this year.
BIFF's industry platform, the Asian Content & Film Market, which saw the most participants last year since reopening its in-person event, will be held in an even larger venue this year. It will lend platforms for domestic and international organizations and companies to build partnerships and showcase their content.