The 29th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opening ceremony took place on the afternoon of October 2nd at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Actors Park Bo-young and Ahn Jae-hong served as hosts, while numerous domestic and international film industry figures graced the event.
Kicking off the ceremony, hosts Park Bo-young and Ahn Jae-hong announced, “The Busan International Film Festival is an event that encourages and inspires filmmakers from Korea, Asia, and around the world to pursue their dreams. We’re excited to see what films will meet the audience this year.”
The first order of business was the presentation of the “Camellia Award”, a new accolade jointly established by the Busan International Film Festival and Chanel this year. Created to elevate the status of women in the film industry and widely publicize their cultural and artistic contributions, this year’s inaugural recipient was art director Ryu Sung-hee.
Ryu Sung-hee has been a leading figure in Korean art direction through numerous works, including “Memories of Murder” (2003), “Oldboy” (2003), “The Host” (2006), “Thirst” (2009), “The Front Line” (2011), “Ode to My Father” (2014), “Assassination” (2015), and “Decision to Leave” (2022). Notably, her collaboration with director Park Chan-wook on “The Handmaiden” (2016) earned her the Vulcan Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, making her the first Korean to receive this honor and demonstrating the world-class level of Korean film art.
Yana Peel, Global Head of Arts and Culture at Chanel, who presented the award, introduced Ryu Sung-hee, saying, “Ryu Sung-hee’s achievements are remarkable. Her sophisticated aesthetic has elevated the cinematic experience, and her successful career has been a great inspiration to women filmmakers.”
Upon accepting the award, Ryu Sung-hee expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you for creating a meaningful award for women filmmakers.” She then reflected on the challenges she faced early in her career, stating, “When I first started making films, there weren’t many female art directors, and it was almost considered a male domain when it came to creative aspects and genre films.”
She continued, “I searched countless production companies with my portfolio and was repeatedly rejected, being told that I would be hard to hire unless it was for a melodrama or romance film. I thought to myself, “I have to survive somehow and change this perception and culture. I have to show that genre films made by women can be original, intense, and express the joys and sorrows of life as an artist, and that they can add delicacy to it.” I kept repeating this to myself.”
Ryu added, “I believe that if we set aside our prejudices and give everyone equal opportunities, the possibilities that will unfold before us are endless. I want to share this honor with countless talented female filmmakers who are dreaming of a new leap in the Korean film industry.”
Following this, Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun and new chairman Park Kwang-soo took the stage to declare the opening. Park Hyung-jun enthusiastically stated, “This year’s film festival is better than ever before. Busan’s autumn is beautiful. Even the typhoon has retreated. All preparations are complete to set sail for the sea of cinema. All that’s left is for movie fans to come aboard. We are ready to hoist the sails and set off.”
The jury for the New Currents section was then introduced. New Currents is a prominent competitive section of the Busan International Film Festival that showcases the first or second feature films of emerging directors who are shaping the future of Asian cinema. It has been a hot topic in the domestic and international film industry, highlighting the diversity and potential of Asian films and introducing new directors and their works that will lead a new wave in the film industry.
This year’s New Currents jury comprises five respected filmmakers from Korea, Asia, and Europe: director Mohammad Rasoulov, who serves as jury chair, director Lee Myung-se, actors Joo Dong-woo and Kani Kusruti, and Banja Kaluzerski, executive director of the Rotterdam International Film Festival. Banja Kaluzerski remarked, “I am honored to be part of the Busan International Film Festival, which has played a crucial role in discovering bold and original filmmakers and leading them to the world stage, illuminating the future of cinema.”
The presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award followed, honoring the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, who passed away last December. A special program, “A Beautiful Person, Lee Sun-kyun,“ will also be held at this year’s festival, showcasing the late actor’s representative works. Six films will be screened, including “Paju” (2009), “Our Sun-hee” (2013), “A Hard Day” (2014), “Parasite” (2019), the drama “My Mister” (2018), and his final work, “Land of Happiness.”
The Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, given to an Asian filmmaker or organization that has shown outstanding contributions to the development of the Asian film industry and culture, was presented to Japanese film master Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Known for his unique style in films such as “Cure” (1997), “Pulse” (2001), and “Retribution” (2006), Kurosawa has garnered a large fan base. This year’s Busan International Film Festival will showcase his two new works, “Serpent’s Path” and “Cloud.”
Upon receiving the award, director Kiyoshi Kurosawa said, “It’s been 40 years since I started making films, and I first participated in the Busan International Film Festival 20 years ago. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Busan International Film Festival has witnessed half of my film life. I’m deeply moved. I’m especially happy to have two films completed this year and to be able to screen them all at the festival. Thank you.”
The opening film, “Uprising”, produced and written by director Park Chan-wook and directed by Kim Sang-man, was then introduced. Notably, “Uprising” is a Netflix film, marking the first time in the festival’s history that an OTT work was selected as the opening film. Lead actor Kang Dong-won expressed his excitement, saying, “It’s fun to be walking the red carpet at the Busan International Film Festival after a long time. I hope you enjoy watching the film and have a great time.”
This year’s Busan International Film Festival, running from October 2nd to 11th, will take place at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, the Korea Film Council screening room, and seven other theaters in Busan. A total of 279 films will be screened, including 224 films (99 world + international premieres, 86 world premieres, 13 international premieres) from 63 countries in the official invited works, and 55 films in the Community BIFF screenings.
Source: Daum
