Massive movie event in Asia begins, showcasing Park Chan-wook's humorous, bloody murder-themed film
The 30th edition of Asia's biggest film festival, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), is set to open on September 17. This year's event promises a star-studded lineup, a first for its competition lineup, and a showcase of acclaimed Asian masters, as well as emerging talent.
The festival will kick off with a murder comedy directed by Auteur Park Chan-wook, best known for Old Boy. Park's latest feature, No Other Choice, was warmly received at the Venice Film Festival, with Variety calling it a "dazzling murder comedy" and a "masterclass in controlled chaos". The film stars South Korea's top actors Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin.
This year's edition of BIFF features 241 official entries from 64 countries, including 90 world premieres. Among these, another world premiere is The People Upstairs, from South Korean actor-director Ha Jung-woo, which centers on the issue of inter-floor noise.
The competition will be judged by juries headed by South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin. The competition lineup includes 14 titles, four of which are South Korean pictures. Notable entries include Zhang Lu's Gloaming In Luomu and Taiwan's Shu Qi's directorial debut Girl. One of the world premieres is Hana Korea, a North Korean refugee drama with Pachinko star Kim Min-ha.
The festival is launching its first fully fledged competition lineup, and festival director Jung Han-seok stated that the latest edition seeks to expand its role as a platform for discovering emerging Asian talent and to effectively showcase the works of acclaimed Asian masters.
Freedom of expression is still not widely guaranteed in much of Asia, yet within shorts young directors have revealed their individuality in striking ways, offering reasons to feel optimistic about the future of Asian cinema. Park Sung-ho, one of BIFF's programmers, echoed this sentiment, stating that there has been a wave of exciting new voices emerging in Asian cinema, especially in short films.
Among the star-studded guests at this year's BIFF 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 festival will also host a singalong screening of Netflix's K-pop fantasy hit KPop Demon Hunters.
Karen Park, the festival's programme director, said the lineup was designed to honor Asian cinema in the way it wishes to be understood. The 30th Busan International Film Festival is shaping up to be an exciting celebration of Asian cinema, showcasing both established masters and promising new voices.
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