Busan International Film Festival has introduced a sweeping set of changes for its 30th edition this year (September 17-26), including the launch of a new competition section for Asian cinema and overhauling its programming team.
Launched in 1996 as a non-competitive film festival, BIFF will now have a competition section of around 14 Asian titles, which will hand out a series of ‘Busan Awards’, including Best Film, Best Director, Special Jury Award, Best Actor for two performers and an Artistic Contribution Award. The existing New Currents and Jiseok sections will be folded into the new competition section.
The festival will continue to present the New Currents Award, which will be presented to a debut feature by a first-time director selected from among the films showcased in the Competition and Vision sections. A separate jury will be appointed for this award.
BIFF is also restructuring its opening and closing ceremonies, with the closing ceremony focusing on the awards presentation for the competition section. Instead of a separate closing film, the Best Film winner will be screened following the ceremony. This year’s opening and closing ceremonies will be directed by renowned filmmaker Min Kyu-dong (Memento Mori).
To commemorate the launch of its first competitive section, BIFF has commissioned a new trophy designed by Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker and installation artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives).
Under new Festival Director Jung Hanseok, the festival has also overhauled its programming structure, bringing in Karen Park as Program Director.
Park, who was formerly in charge of Latin America and Europe, will now also handle Japan and English-speaking territories, “enhancing BIFF’s curatorial expertise and international competitiveness through a robust global network”.
BIFF said it would also streamline the structure of the selection committee, managing the programmers’ roles with greater flexibility, moving away from fixed regional assignments to a structure that “empowers individual capabilities and enables a more proactive and dynamic selection process”.
The festival is also increasing its programme from 224 films last year to 240 titles this year and expanding its screening venues. It is also expanding the Midnight Passion section, revamping its Vision section, and hosting the Asian Cinema 100 initiative first launched in 2015.
Outlining its overall mission, BIFF highlighted three key directions for the festival: firstly, to reaffirm its identity as Asia’s representative film festival, which includes the launch of the competition section.
Secondly, the festival aims to seek solutions to the current crisis Korean cinema is facing “by organizing diverse programs and forums encouraging in-depth discussion and collective problem-solving”. And thirdly, the festival says it aims to “remain truly audience-friendly by inviting films and guests that audiences genuinely wish to see and meet.”
