[K Movie Golden Age]④ Cannes Film Festival Butterfly Effect? The First Entrant Bucheon Raises a Key Issue

75th Cannes Star Marketing Impact Strong
Pre-Pandemic Enthusiasm Recovers
What Effect on Korean Film Festivals?
26th BIFAN Opens in July
"'Squid Game' Is Also Film... How to Define It?"

Photo by BIFAN

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] At the 75th Cannes Film Festival held last month, Korean cinema once again received honors. Director Park Chan-wook won the Best Director award for "Decision to Leave," and actor Song Kang-ho took home his first Best Actor award for "Broker" (directed by Koreeda Hirokazu). Actor Lee Jung-jae, who became a global star through "Squid Game," experienced the heat of popularity as he navigated Cannes with his directorial debut "Hunt." The atmosphere on site was intense. It was impressive to see such passionate enthusiasm, as if no one had ever forgotten cinema, returning to a pre-pandemic vibe.

The film industry had been stagnant for the past two years due to the pandemic, and film festivals were also impacted. The major domestic film festivals were no exception. This year at Cannes, the atmosphere felt as if it had returned to the pre-pandemic era. Aggressive star marketing, including inviting actors like Tom Cruise and Lee Jung-jae, proved highly effective. Audiences and film professionals flocked to the area around the Lumi?re Theater in Cannes, creating a bustling scene.

Representatives from major domestic film festivals such as the Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Busan, and Jeonju also attended Cannes this year. The Korea Film Council booth reopened as well. Cannes is considered one of the world's top three film festivals, but it holds an unparalleled prestige as the best film festival, setting the standard for film festivals worldwide. Domestically, there was keen attention on Cannes this year, with thorough observation.

The 26th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival will be held from July 7 to 17 for 11 days under the slogan "It's Okay to Be Strange" throughout Bucheon City. On the 14th, organizing committee chairperson Jung Ji-young held a press conference at the Seoul On Studio in the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung-gu, Seoul, stating, "We will create a festival that fully engages with the audience. We have prepared something new, detailed, and substantial. It is worth looking forward to," expressing confidence.

As the largest genre film festival, BIFAN invited 268 films from 49 countries this year. There are 118 feature films, 104 short films, 4 series, and 42 XR works. Screenings are divided into four categories: World Premiere, International Premiere, Asian Premiere, and Korean Premiere. Screening venues have expanded to a total of 12 theaters, including CGV Sopung, Eoul Madang, Fantastic Cube, Megabox Bucheon Starfield City, and the Korea Manhwa Museum, showing 138 feature and short films during the festival period. The films can also be viewed on the OTT platform wavve.

The main screening programs include domestic and international feature and short film competitions: △ Bucheon Choice: Feature △ Bucheon Choice: Short △ Korean Fantastic: Feature △ Korean Fantastic: Short. Awards totaling 103 million KRW will be given for works and directors, as well as the Watcha Spotlight Feature and Short Film Awards and the NH Nonghyup Distribution Support Award.

Photo by Lee Isul, Cannes (France)

Photo by BIFAN

Executive Committee Chair Shin Cheol said, "As we enter the endemic phase, the executive committee has prepared extensively. We aim to create a data-driven film festival. Many overseas guests will attend this year."

The opening film is "Men," directed by Alex Garland, known for "Ex Machina" and "Southern Reach: Annihilation," and the closing film is "New Normal," directed by Jung Beom-sik, known for "Gidam" and "Gonjiam." A special actor retrospective for Sol Kyung-gu will also be held. Seven films including "Peppermint Candy," "Public Enemy," "Oasis," "Silmido," "The Watcher," "The Outlaws," and "The Book of Fish" will be screened, accompanied by megatalks and exhibitions to engage with the audience. The "Continues: 39+1, Korean Academy of Film Arts" program features works by graduates of the Korean Academy of Film Arts, which is approaching its 40th anniversary, and a special BL film exhibition titled "Boys, Be, Love," focusing on stories of beloved boys, will also be held.

Genre films will be spotlighted in programs such as "Mad Max," "Adrenaline Ride," "Metal Noir," "Merry Go Round," "Otherworldly Family," and "XL." The festival will revive late-night screenings and resume activities of the children's jury. Before Korean film screenings, a moment of remembrance will be held for the late Kang Soo-yeon, who passed away in May.

The 26th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival plans to grandly open after overcoming many challenges. It is determined to make this a place where audiences and film professionals celebrate the achievements of Korean cinema and K-content together. Furthermore, it aims to raise questions about the irreversible changes in film language, media formats, and audience reception methods.

The movie 'The Outlaws 2' surpassed 9 million viewers on its 20th day since release, and on the 6th, a Seoul cinema was crowded with audiences anticipating the first film to surpass 10 million viewers since the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Chairman Shin said, "These days, the boundaries and definitions of film are breaking down. Why is 'Harry Potter' considered a film but 'Squid Game' is not? I am contemplating such questions."

"When talking with film professionals from around the world, they say it's time to redefine the definition of film. Due to conflicts arising from the interests of different media, it is not easy to organize, but shouldn't we just think about 'What is film?' Visual storytelling was what defined film, but as situations diversified, it ultimately unified through digital. We are the Bucheon Film Festival, but we don't use a single piece of film. We need to redefine the confusion arising from that. I consider 'Squid Game' and 'Game of Thrones' as films. We plan to remove restrictions and work on how to redefine film."

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