Over the 10 days through Oct. 15, BIFF will screen 247 films from 59 countries at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu and other venues across the city. World premieres alone number 93. The Icon section, which showcases the latest work by the world's masters, will present 35 films, including "Fjord" by Cristian Mungiu, a Palme d'Or winner at Cannes. Including titles that are not official invitations, the festival will screen 316 films in total.
The opening film is "Day and Night to Each Other" by director Kim Jong-kwan, whose credits include "The Worst Day," making its debut at this year's BIFF. The cast includes Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Jang Ryul, Shim Eun-kyung and Lee Hee-joon. The film depicts the cheerful, understated stories of four couples at a cafe between summer and autumn. Critics say it uses the nature of a cafe — a place where all sorts of people linger and leave — to delicately render each character's own narrative, personality, mood and nuance with a light rhythm and a thoughtful gaze. Director Kim said it is "a story about small and trivial things," describing it as "a film that focuses on the beauty contained within them." The closing film will be the winner of the Busan Award Grand Prize in the competition section, to be screened at the BIFF Roof Theater of the Busan Cinema Center on Oct. 15, the day of the closing ceremony.
Interest in the winners is especially high this year, as the Busan Award Grand Prize — the top honor in BIFF's competition section — now confers eligibility to submit for the U.S. Academy Awards. World-renowned director Zhang Yimou chairs the jury. Korean films in competition include "Taeju of That Day" by Lim Ha-yeon, born in 1998; "Long, Long Night" by Yeom Kyu-bok, who has directed advertisements for global brands such as Samsung Electronics and BMW; and "Shaving" by Kim Jung-hoon, director of "Wild Dog." Others in competition include "Bread and Book," the latest work by Iranian master Majid Majidi, whose "Children of Heaven" (1997) became the first Iranian film nominated for the Academy Award for best foreign-language film; "My Mother" by Indonesia's Edwin Chahyono; "Satoko Is Always" by Japan's Shuichi Okita; and "The Loneliness I First Met" by China's Gu You.
This year's "Actors' House" will feature Kim Go-eun, Kim Min-ha, Shin Min-a, Ryu Seung-ryong and Ju Ji-hoon. The program, in which actors look back on their filmographies and share their acting philosophies and behind-the-scenes stories, has become one of BIFF's signature events. Famous directors and top stars are meeting audiences at the festival, heightening the atmosphere. Among them are director Lee Chang-dong of "Possible Love" and actors Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung and Jo Yeo-jeong; director Kim Ji-hyun of "The Jungs" and actors Ryu Seung-ryong, Park Hae-joon, Ong Seong-wu and Lee Sang-hee; director Woo Min-ho of "Made in Korea" and actor Hyun Bin; and Choi Hyun-wook of "Sweet Side Job." From overseas, the lineup includes Hollywood actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who chaired this year's Venice Film Festival jury; Chinese actress Fan Bingbing; French actress Isabelle Huppert; Alfonso Cuaron, the acclaimed director of "Roma"; Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda, a longtime friend of BIFF; the rarely seen Filipino director Lav Diaz; and Bertrand Mandico, who has built a core following in Korea with his bizarre and sensual visuals.
Audiences on the ground are enthusiastic. A woman in her 30s who attended the festival for a second straight year said, "I'm really looking forward to the Actors' House with Ju Ji-hoon, whom I've liked since I was young," adding, "I'll also see as many of the Gala Presentation films as I can." A man in his 20s said, "I mostly watched streaming services, but lately the experience of watching a film together with an audience is itself appealing," adding, "I came after reading an article that many actors would be here, and I'd heard a lot of foreigners come to Busan — there really are so many, which is amazing." Still, political controversy surrounding the film "The Assassin(s)" left a sour note, as the director, cast and other participants all stayed away.
