[25th BIFF] "Picketing, Cannes, Small Scale" How Will the Busan Film Festival Change Amid COVID-19 (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is seeking coexistence with the Cannes Film Festival amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the 56 selected films, 23 will be screened in Busan. However, the decision on whether to hold the festival is expected to be finalized around Chuseok.

On the afternoon of the 14th, the 25th Busan International Film Festival press conference was held online. Attendees included Chairman Lee Yong-kwan, Executive Chairman Jeon Yang-jun, and Chief Programmer Nam Dong-chul.

This year, the festival was originally scheduled from October 7 to 16 but has been postponed by two weeks to October 21 to 30.

Screenings will take place on five screens within the Busan Cinema Center, featuring 192 films from 68 countries. All competition sections will be judged online. The Asia Contents & Film Market, Asia Project Market, Forum BIFF, and Asia Film Awards will also be held online in a non-face-to-face format.

Executive Chairman Jeon Yang-jun stated, "This year, the opening and closing ceremonies and the red carpet will be held, but receptions and parties will not take place. Additionally, outdoor stage greetings, open talks, Ajou Damdam, Cinema Together, and other outdoor events and small gatherings are canceled, resulting in a significantly scaled-down festival."

The opening film is the omnibus film Septet: The Story of Hong Kong. It features seven legendary Hong Kong directors?Sammo Hung, Ann Hui, Derek Tsang, Wai Ka-Fai, Johnny To, Im Young-dong, and Tsui Hark?who created the film centered on Hong Kong. The film was selected for Cannes 2020.

When asked why a Hong Kong film was chosen, Executive Chairman Jeon said, "The film does not deal with political issues or messages." He added, "It reflects on Hong Kong's past and present, and viewers may interpret it in various ways."

The closing film is Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (director Kotaro Tamura). It is based on a short story by Seiko Tanabe and is well known as a live-action film directed by Isshin Inudo in 2003, starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, Chizuru Ikewaki, and Juri Ueno.

Executive Chairman Jeon said, "I think people have felt great helplessness and frustration this year. Considering that, we felt a heartwarming film was needed for the closing. After consultation, we chose the animation Josee, the Tiger and the Fish."

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Chief Programmer Nam Dong-chul introduced this year's changes, saying, "Usually, about 300 films are screened, but this year, the number has decreased by more than 100 compared to previous years."

Earlier, the Cannes Film Festival hinted at collaboration with the Busan Film Festival and others. Programmer Nam explained, "This year, the Cannes Film Festival could not be held. Cannes announced only the list of selected films without screenings, which was an unusual situation. They expressed hope that other festivals would screen the films selected under the title Cannes 2020 but not shown. Busan International Film Festival was mentioned at that time, and it was decided to screen 23 out of 56 films."

He continued, "There are many important works, including the already released Peninsula. Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love restoration version will be available. Films such as Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet, and Falling will be screened. Disney's hand-drawn animation Soul will be shown at the Open Cinema. Director Yoon Jae-ho, who made Beautiful Days, created The Fighter. Directors Kim Jong-kwan and Jang Gun-jae, who were first noticed at BIFF with films like Moonlit Winter, will return with their second and third films. Notable films can be found in the Vision and New Currents sections," he introduced.

Chairman Lee Yong-kwan commented on the operation of Community BIFF, saying, "We tried to hold the festival normally this year but apologize for not being able to provide films to many people. The abnormal holding is inevitable due to COVID-19. However, if possible, we plan to hold pure screenings and some GVs (audience talks) only at the Busan Cinema Center. We will monitor the situation after Chuseok and decide. There might be a situation where even an abnormal festival cannot be held. Depending on the situation, it might not be possible," he replied.

He added, "If it cannot be held, we are considering whether to cancel entirely or find alternatives. However, regardless of the case, our position remains to do our best to provide possible film screenings and audience meetings."

He also shared various concerns. Chairman Lee said, "We have realized the need to supplement various non-face-to-face distribution channels and communication methods for festivals. We have been discussing this with national institutions and Busan city for two years. If we cannot hold the festival this year, we will not cling to online. What we must uphold is similar to Cannes Film Festival's stance. We will respect copyright issues, the will of creators, and audiences, and maintain basic principles. If the situation worsens, we will have to look to next year," he cautiously stated.

He emphasized, "I can say that we are sharing such programs with Cannes and Berlin and preparing alternatives."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He reiterated that Chuseok will be the criterion for deciding whether to hold the festival. The decision on holding or canceling will be announced after that. Chairman Lee said, "If we get through Chuseok well and restrictions ease, many opportunities will arise. We will consider online and OTT more and then inform you. We will follow national policies. We will not hold the festival if the alert level is 2.5 or 3. However, we consider level 2 as a threshold and will discuss with the government and Busan city how to proceed."

Regarding specific quarantine measures, he said, "We formed an advisory group for festival quarantine and held meetings. We are adjusting while listening to their opinions. If complex issues such as confirmed cases arise, we will respect their opinions, follow guidelines, and consult with the city. We cooperate with university hospitals and medical personnel every year for various phased measures. We will take preemptive actions to prevent such incidents," he explained.

Due to limited audience seats, ticketing (pi+ticketing) is expected this year. Programmer Nam Dong-chul said, "There will be no box office this year. All ticketing will be done through online and mobile reservations. Ticket verification will also be conducted via mobile. Entry will be allowed only to those who have fully reserved tickets," he explained. "This is necessary for control and social distancing. Also, if route checks are needed, they will be thoroughly conducted."

He added, "Ultimately, those who win the ticket battle will secure tickets," and asked for understanding of the unavoidable situation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.