Major film festival in Asia kicks off with Park Chan-wook's black comedy featuring murders and laughter.
The 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is set to take place in BUSAN, starting on September 17. This year's edition promises to be a celebration of Asian cinema, featuring 241 official entries from 64 countries, including 90 world premieres.
One of the highlights of the festival is the launch of its first major competition section, featuring 14 titles. Among them is "No Other Choice," a dazzling murder comedy based on American writer Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax. Auteur Park Chan-wook, best known for Old Boy, is returning to Busan with this latest feature, which received warm acclaim at Venice, with Variety calling it a "masterclass in controlled chaos." The film stars South Korea's top actors Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin.
Taiwan's megastar Shu Qi is making her directorial debut with a film in the competition. Four of the competing titles are South Korean pictures, with "The People Upstairs," directed by South Korean actor-director Ha Jung-woo, centering on the issue of inter-floor noise.
Another intriguing entry is "Gloaming In Luomu," directed by Zhang Lu. The festival is also hosting a singalong screening of Netflix's K-pop fantasy hit KPop Demon Hunters.
According to BIFF programmer Park Sung-ho, a "wave of exciting new voices" is emerging in Asian cinema, particularly in short films where sensitive themes are tackled with remarkable freedom. Despite freedom of expression not being widely guaranteed in much of Asia, young directors have revealed their individuality in striking ways, offering reasons to feel optimistic about the future of Asian cinema.
Among the star-studded guests are Asia's celebrated auteurs Bong Joon-ho and Jia Zhangke, French actress Juliette Binoche, American star Milla Jovovich, KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang, and Hollywood auteur Michael Mann.
The competition section will be judged by juries headed by South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin. The festival's goal is to further expand its role as a platform for discovering emerging Asian talent. With its diverse lineup and commitment to nurturing new voices, the 30th Busan International Film Festival is shaping up to be an unmissable event for cinema lovers.
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