[26th BIFF] Bong Joon-ho, Song Joong-ki, Yoo Ah-in Return to Red Carpet, Gauge of 'With Corona'

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[Busan=Asia Economy Reporter Lee Iseul] The 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened its doors for the first time in two years due to the impact of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection). Declaring a 'With Corona' approach, the festival set sail into the sea of cinema with the attendance of domestic and international masters and actors. It is expected to serve as a gauge for whether the festival can regain its former vitality.

On the afternoon of the 6th, the opening ceremony of the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) was held at the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan, hosted by Song Joong-ki and Park So-dam. After the ceremony, the opening film, director Im Sang-soo's movie "Heaven: To the Land of Happiness," was screened, officially kicking off the festival.

At the outdoor theater, which accommodates about 1,200 people, only 50% of the total seats were operated to practice social distancing. Additionally, only those who had passed two weeks after vaccination or received a negative PCR test result were allowed entry.

A few hours before the opening ceremony, the area around the Busan Cinema Center was bustling. The red carpet was laid out early, and security forces controlled vehicle access. The outdoor seats were a rare sight after a long time. Entry was only permitted after temperature checks, safe call entry management, and QR check-in at the entrances such as BIFF Village and the medium theater.

Actors Ahn Sung-ki, Choi Min-sik, Park Hae-il, Jo Jin-woong, Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo, Jeon Yeo-been, Song Joong-ki, Ahn Bo-hyun, Choi Hee-seo, and directors Bong Joon-ho, Im Kwon-taek, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi attended the opening ceremony, lighting up the red carpet.

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Although the festival was downsized last year due to COVID-19, this year it shows determination to hold the event normally in accordance with quarantine rules. A total of 223 films from over 70 countries will be screened in 29 theaters across 6 venues, with only half of the seats operated in each theater. Last year, each film was screened only once, but this year, screenings will be held 2 to 3 times per film as in previous years. Korean film GVs (guest visits and audience talks) will all be conducted on-site, while overseas films will be held both online and offline.

Eleven films have been selected as nominees for the New Currents Award, the competition section. The selected works will be candidates for the New Currents Award, Audience Award, Asia Pacific Screen Awards (NETPAC), FIPRESCI Award, and others. This year’s jury president is the Indian-born master director Deepa Mehta.

Various special exhibitions will also be presented. In addition to two special exhibitions focusing on Asian cinema, new works from online video services (OTT) will be screened. The special exhibition "Wonder Women Movie," which selects the best Asian films made by female directors based on surveys of film industry experts, and "Chinese Cinema, New Voices," introducing films by Chinese directors who have recently gained global attention, will also be held.

In the On Screen section, popular OTT drama series will be showcased as world premieres or Asia premieres. The first invited works include director Yeon Sang-ho’s "Hellbound," director Kim Jin-min’s "My Name," and "Forbidden," directed by Anucha Boonyawatana (Thailand) & Josh Kim (USA). "Hellbound" and "My Name" are Netflix series, while "Forbidden" is an HBO ASIA original drama series.

Community BIFF, which started centered around Nampo-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, the birthplace of the film festival, is expanding throughout Busan. Community BIFF plans to screen films in 14 district and county village communities by newly establishing Neighborhood BIFF.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Many domestic and international directors are gathering in Busan. Director Im Kwon-taek, the recipient of the 'Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award,' director Im Sang-soo who directed the opening film "Heaven: To the Land of Happiness," and director Park Chan-wook are attending the festival. The Gala Presentation section will feature Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s "Drive My Car," "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy," and Leos Carax’s "Annette." Directors Bong Joon-ho and Ryusuke Hamaguchi will have a special talk on the 7th.

Major anticipated films will also be unveiled in Busan. The French film "Quiet Morning," starring Yoo Yeon-seok and Olga Kurylenko, and "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon," starring Jeon Jong-seo, which was invited to the competition section of this year’s Venice International Film Festival, will be screened.

Actors are also visiting Busan to meet audiences. Lee Je-hoon, Jeon Jong-seo, and Byun Yo-han will take the stage as the main figures of "Actors House," and Park Jung-min, Son Seok-gu, Choi Hee-seo, and Lee Je-hoon will each direct and present the Hardcut X Watcha original short film project "Unframed." Additionally, Song Joong-ki and Jeon Yeo-been from "Space Sweepers" will meet with audiences.

The Asian Film Fund, Asian Film Academy, and Platform Busan will temporarily suspend activities again this year due to the impact of COVID-19, following last year.

The Busan International Film Festival, having lifted the curtain, will conclude after the closing film "Mai Yam Bang" (directed by Leung Lok-man) is screened on the afternoon of the 15th, following a closing press conference in the morning. The closing ceremony will be hosted by actors Lee Joon-hyuk and Lee Joo-young.

Busan=Reporter Lee Iseul

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