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| Characters from Netflix's "Hellbound." Courtesy of BIFF |
The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has opened its doors to non-theatrical original content from online streaming services.
BIFF, one of the largest film festivals in Asia, said Friday that it newly launched the "On Screen" section for screening new drama series to be released on online video streamers, like Netflix. This year's 26th edition will be held from Oct. 6-15 in the southern port city of Busan.
"The section aims to precisely reflect the current state of the market, which is expanding multi-directionally, while embracing the extended flow and value of cinema," the festival said.
Some renowned film fests like the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival are also running similar programs for TV series or films made for streaming platforms.
Three drama series ― Netflix's "Hellbound" and "My Name," and HBO Asia's original series "Forbidden" ― were invited to BIFF's inaugural "On Screen" section this year.
"Hellbound," directed by Yeon Sang-ho of "Train to Busan" (2016), is based on the namesake web cartoon, portraying a fantasy world where people are dragged to hell by supernatural creatures.
Starring Yoo Ah-in and Park Jung-min, the six-episode fantasy thriller will have an Asian premier at BIFF, following its first worldwide screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 10-18. (Yonhap)
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