Busan International Film Festival opens with Park Chan-wook's film

“I have become a 30-year veteran actor. The Busan International Film Festival also started around the same time. Only after 30 years do I fe...

“I have become a 30-year veteran actor. The Busan International Film Festival also started around the same time. Only after 30 years do I feel like I’ve truly become an actor. Yet, here I stand on this stage today. Shall we begin the 30th Busan International Film Festival?”

The 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened on the 17th with actor Lee Byung-hun’s trembling voice. BIFF, which took its first steps at the Suyeong Bay Outdoor Theater in September 1996, has grown into Asia’s largest film festival, driving Korean cinema. The opening ceremony, held around 8 p.m. at the Outdoor Theater of the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae—about an hour later than scheduled—was hosted solo by Lee Byung-hun. Approximately 4,500 domestic and international filmmakers filled the auditorium without a single empty seat.

Prior to the opening ceremony, at the red carpet event, Watanabe Ken, actor of the Japanese film *Final Piece*, and Milla Jovovich, the *Resident Evil* actress who visited Korea after eight years, entered with smiles. Guillermo del Toro, director of *Frankenstein*, which was invited to the competitive section of this year’s Venice International Film Festival, walked into the opening ceremony venue with his wife and daughter’s arms linked, smiling brightly. Michael Mann, director of *Heat*, also walked the red carpet with his wife. BLACKPINK’s Lisa made a surprise appearance, briefly stirring the audience.

At the opening ceremony, Iranian master director Jafar Panahi, who received the “Asian Filmmaker of the Year” award, said, “When I came to Busan for the first film festival, I vowed, ‘I will make the best Asian film and return.’ I was imprisoned and have only now come, so I am grateful for this award.” He added, “We must continue to fight for the freedom of expression in filmmaking” and “I dedicate this award to all independent filmmakers on the front lines of that struggle.”

Park Chan-wook, director of this year’s opening film *No Other Choice*, and the cast took the stage near the end of the ceremony. When Lee Byung-hun asked Park, “This is my first time hosting—how did I do?” Park replied, “I think I should just stick to acting,” drawing laughter from the audience. Park said, “When they first said they would create the Busan Film Festival, I thought it was a reckless idea that wouldn’t work in Korea, but it has become a major festival. It’s a true honor to have my film screened as the opening work for the 30th edition.” Actor Son Ye-jin remarked, “I will never forget this day.”

This year’s BIFF features a significant transformation into a competitive film festival. A new competitive section inviting Asian films has been added, with the “Busan Award” to be presented at the closing ceremony. Awards will be given in five categories: Grand Prize, Director’s Prize, Jury Special Prize, Actor’s Prize, and Art Contribution Prize. This year’s selected films include *Journey and Days* (director Sho Miyake, starring Shim Eun-kyung), which won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival, and *Girl* (director Seo Gi), the directorial debut of actor Seo Gi, among 14 others. The jury is chaired by director Na Hong-jin, with Hong Kong actor Yang Ga-hwi and Iranian director Marziyeh Meshkini serving as jurors. Juliette Binoche, the actress who has won Best Actress awards at the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin film festivals, will attend the closing ceremony.

The Icon section, which introduces the latest works of master directors, has nearly doubled from 17 films last year to 33 this year—the largest scale in history. It includes *Just an Accident*, Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning film at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and Jim Jarmusch’s *Father Mother Sister Brother*, which won the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

The festival also retained its emphasis on popular appeal, highlighted last year by Netflix’s *The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion* as the opening film. A sing-along screening of *KPop Demon Hunters*, which set a record for Netflix films and series with 314.2 million cumulative views, will be held for the first time in Korea on the 20th. BIFF will run for 10 days until the 26th. A total of 241 official selected films from 64 countries—17 more than last year—will be screened at the Busan Cinema Center, Dongseo University’s Soohyang Theater, and other venues.