Busan International Film Festival to Kick Off with Netflix War Epic ‘Uprising’

As a seasoned film enthusiast with a penchant for international cinema, I am absolutely thrilled about this year’s Busan International Film Festival! The lineup is nothing short of spectacular, from the historical epic “Uprising” to the thought-provoking “Spirit World.” The festival’s commitment to bringing back traditional elements and enhancing the overall experience for guests is commendable.

Starting on October 2nd, the 2024 Busan International Film Festival will commence, featuring the international debut of “Uprising”, a historical war epic directed by Kim Sang-man. This movie is noteworthy as it was scripted by the acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook (known for “Oldboy”) and distributed by Netflix. The 10-day event will conclude on its final day with the screening of “Spirit World”, directed by Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo, and starring the renowned French actress Catherine Deneuve.

“Park Do-shin, the acting director of the festival and former senior programmer at Busan, commented on two captivating films: ‘Uprising’ and ‘Spirit World.’ While ‘Uprising,’ a delightful historical drama, was crafted by an exceptional team of directors, writers, and actors, ‘Spirit World,’ a co-production, delves into profound questions about human existence and life’s purpose through stunning cinematic artistry. Notably, ‘Uprising’ marks the first streaming title to be chosen as the festival’s opening film.”

Previously serving as the director and recently appointed as the chairman for the festival in February, Park Kwang-su addressed festival fans during a press conference held on Tuesday, expressing his confidence that this year’s edition would revive some cherished customs reminiscent of past festivals.

As a passionate admirer reflecting on last year’s event, it struck me that there were essential elements missing from the experience. Recognizing this oversight, we’ve made a deliberate choice to resurrect the offline daily publications, which previously only graced our online platform. Additionally, we’re thrilled to announce the reinstatement of the shuttle bus service and the return of the festival lounge – a perfect sanctuary for guests and visitors to unwind, socialize, and truly immerse themselves in the event atmosphere.

The modest alterations made a significant impact on the festival administrators, who managed to expand screenings by 8% over last year’s total – offering 224 films from 63 nations – despite a substantial reduction in government subsidy. This growth was largely due to an increase in corporate sponsorship. This year’s Busan International Film Festival features 279 films, including 13 international premieres and 86 world premieres.

This year’s BIFF (Busan International Film Festival) will shine a light on the works of renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi, who was honored as the Asian Filmmaker of the Year. Kurosawa is celebrated for his psychological horror films like “Cure” (1997), and during this festival, Busan will showcase two of his most recent creations – “Serpent’s Path” and “Cloud”. These movies were recently unveiled at the Venice Film Festival.

Additional Asian filmmakers showcased in the festival are director Jia Zhanke with his movie “Caught by the Tides,” a sweeping portrayal of modern China, and Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” which offers a stark depiction of Iran’s political climate and the oppression faced by women.

The festival will showcase works by several esteemed European filmmakers, such as Bruno Dumont’s “The Empire,” which received the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which took home the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Additionally, it highlights the films of Miguel Gomes, who was honored with the best director award at this year’s Cannes for his work “Grand Tour.”

This year, Busan has broadened its showcase of Korean commercial movies, featuring films such as “Bogota: City of the Lost,” a crime drama starring Song Joong-ki, which centers on immigrants in Colombia, and “Hear Me: Our Summer,” a Korean rendition of the iconic Taiwanese romance. The festival also plans to honor the late Lee Sun-kyun, renowned for his role in “Parasite,” by screening some of his earlier works like “Paju” (2009), “Our Sunhi” (2013) and the TV series “My Mister” (2018). Additionally, a showing of “Parasite” will be included.

Director Lee Ran-hee is set to return with her second full-length film titled “The Final Semester” following the screening of her debut film “Leave” (2020) in Busan’s New Currents section. Meanwhile, another frequent participant at Busan, Park Songyeol, is coming back with a new movie named “Kike Will Hit a Home Run“.

1. “The open-air debut of the movie version of the popular Japanese TV show ‘Solitary Gourmet’ is set for Busan. Meanwhile, the suspenseful French film ‘Night Call’ will be screened at Midnight Passion, a festival dedicated to thrillers, horror, and action films, ensuring that ardent fans of these genres stay awake all night.”

On the market front, more than 2,500 film and industry professionals from more than 50 countries are expected to participate this year for dealmaking, content promotion and coproduction opportunities.

This October 5th marks the commencement of the Asia Contents and Film Market (ACFM), hosting a lineup of forums featuring professionals from prominent studios such as Amazon, Netflix, and DMP Studios.

Discussions in the forums will span various subjects, such as integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into content creation and how Asia’s intellectual property (IP) and movie industries can take advantage of cutting-edge technology.

In this event, the open-source AI provider, Stability AI, is set to share insights about the far-reaching impact of generative AI, featuring technologies such as Stable Diffusion. Joining the discourse will be Gioo S. Gainor, head of Amazon Studios’ movie production, and TJ Falls, vice president of Visual Effects at Lucasfilm.

This year, the market is introducing a Producer Networking Platform, specifically designed for producers seeking global collaborations in production and finance.

2024-09-03 18:55

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