The 28th Busan International Film Festival (Korean: 제28회 부산국제영화제) opened on October 4 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea. Song Kang-ho of Parasite fame welcomed filmmakers as host of the festival, while Park Eun-bin acted as the moderator of the ceremony, which was broadcast live on YouTube channel and Naver TV.[1] Opening with South Korean film Because I Hate Korea by Jang Kun-jae, 269 films were screened, including 209 officially invited films from 69 countries and 60 community beef screenings.[2]Jung Sung-il, South Korean film critic, director and screenwriter served as chairman of the jury for its main competition section.[3]
BIFF this year opened special program, ‘Renaissance of Indonesian Cinema’ paying attention to Indonesia with 7 feature films and 5 short films, including a series to be released on Netflix.[4]Chow Yun-fat, a Hong Kong star, received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, whereas Yoon Jeong-hee posthumously received the Korean Film Achievement Award.
The main award of the festival New Currents Award was given to Bangladeshi film The Wrestler by Iqbal H. Chowdhary, which follows an eccentric old fisherman who trains rigorously in a traditional form of wrestling; and Japanese film September 1923 by Tatsuya Mori, a historical feature marking 100 years of Great Kanto earthquake, which dramatises a massacre that followed the natural disaster.[7][8]
Overview
The film registration for the festival began in March 2023 with the closing date for submission fixed for July 19, 2023.[9]
The poster for 28th edition of the festival was unveiled on August 15, 2023. Based on Shin Bong-cheol's To My Star, director Choi Soon-dae, who has been working as an art director since the 2nd Busan International Film Festival planned and designed it. The poster has a motif derived from the harmonious interaction of colorful colors and forms of light passing through a rotating prism. Which brings to mind light cast on a screen through a projector lens, and the beautifully blended light on a black background brings to mind a variety of films. It also symbolizes the Busan International Film Festival, full of dazzling light energy.[10]
The line-up for Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere and On Screen strands was unveiled on August 24. In the On Screen section, this year six world premieres – five from Korea and one from Indonesia are included. It also includes I Am a Running Mate, which marks the directorial debut of Han Jin-won, the co-writer for Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. The Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere section, this year includes two Netflix's films Believer 2, the sequel to Believer (2018), by Baek Jong-yul and Ballerina by Lee Chung-hyun.[11] On August 30, the line-up of ten films each for New Currents competition along with Jiseok section were unveiled. New Currents is a section for first and second films by up-and-coming Asian filmmakers, whereas Jiseok section selects films from Asian directors with more than three feature films to their credit and honours two such directors with Jiseok awards.[12] On September 1, 10 films for the section 'Korean Cinema Today - Vision Section' were announced. This year's selection has profound themes of life, agony, family affection, and personal introspection.[13] On September 5, BIFF unveiled full line-up for its 2023 edition and announced Chow Yun-fat the winner of Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. The opening film of the festival was Jang Kun-jae’s Because I Hate Korea and closing film Ning Hao’s Chinese film industry satire The Movie Emperor.[6]
The festival has started a new award for new Asian directors and independent film creators with LG Electronics, the LG OLED New Currents Award and the LG OLED Vision Award starting this year. These awards, will go to new directors who lead Asian films and Korean independent films with outstanding originality and vision, and receive a prize of ₩30 million and a plaque.[14]
The eve event to wish the success of the festival was held on October 3, at the outdoor stage of BIFF Square in Jung-gu. It was attended by Busan Metropolitan City, Busan Jung-gu Office, and key guests of the festival. The event hosted by film actors Kim Hye-na [ko] and Lee Dong-gyu, had a celebratory performance by legendary diva Jung Hoon-hee [ko], and singer-songwriter Juniel.
Opening and closing ceremonies
2023 Opening ceremony of the festival
Opening ceremony of the festival was held at Busan Cinema Center Outdoor Theater on October 4. It was broadcast live on the official YouTube channel of the festival and Naver TV.[15]
Closing ceremony was held at Busan Cinema Center Outdoor Theater on October 13, with Go Min-si and Hong Kyung acting as master of ceremonies.[5] After the red carpet event, awards were announced, including the New Currents Award, Ji Seok Award, and Actor of the Year Awards. 142,432 people attended the film festival since the opening day with 82% audience share. 269 films from 70 countries were screened in 4 theaters and 25 screens, whereas 12 open talks, 11 outdoor stage greetings, 4 Actors House, 1 master class, 2 special talks, and 252 guest meetings were held during the 10 days of the festival. The festival closed with the screening of Chinese film industry satire The Movie Emperor by Ning Hao.[19]
Events
Busan Cinema Center, BIFF 2023
Actors House: In this edition the following actors shared unknown behind-the-scenes stories and their future plans with the audience:[20]
Actors House will be held from October 5 to 7 at KNN Theater, 1st Basement Floor, KNN Tower.
Master class: On October 9, Kazuo Hara, the Japanese documentary film director gave a lecture about his documentary perspective and world of work and had an in-depth conversation with the audience at KNN Theater, B1 – KNN Tower, Busan.
Open Talk and Outdoor stage greetings: The open talk and outdoor stage greetings were held from October 5 to 7, on the BIFF X GENESIS outdoor stage. An audience participation program for all visitors to the festival, it was broadcast live online through Naver.[21]
Hand printing: Hand printing event was attended by Chow Yun-fat, winner of the 2023 Asian Film Maker of the Year Award. The event was held on October 5, after the open talk.
Special talk: On October 10, after the screening of 2023 Japanese drama film Evil Does Not Exist, written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, a special talk was held at Busan Cinema Center, Middle Theater.
The selected titles are eligible for multiple awards, including the New Currents Award, the FIPRESCI Award, the NETPAC Award, and the KB New Currents Audience Award.[29]
This section selected films from Asian directors with a portfolio of more than three feature films, and from the line-up of ten films, two were honored with Jiseok awards.[30]
A competition among non-Asian filmmakers’ first or second features that take an innovative and original approach to cinema. The winner is decided by the audience and awarded the Flash Forward Award.
This year to commemorate the late actor Yoon Jeong-hee, who died in 2023, a special screening of her masterpieces were held. In addition, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus, which contains performance scenes of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died in March, were also screened.[34]
House of the Seasons, Lee Jin-keun, Cinematographer
Critic b Award:
Last Summer by Choi Seung-woo
Aurora Media Award (joint winners):
House of the Seasons by Oh Jung-min
FAQ by Kim Da-min
Watcha Short Award (joint winners):
Mydear by Jeon Do-hee and Kim So-hee
Karma by Choi Soo-hyuk
Citizen Critics’ Award:
The Berefts by Jung Beom, Heo Jang
Busan Cinephile Award:
Yellow Door: ′90s Lo-fi Film Club by Lee Hyuk-rae
The Choon-yun Award
Kim Ji-yeon, producer, South Korea
Notes
^The FIPRESCI Award is given to the most exceptional film that reflects the creator’s experimental and progressive spirit, among those presented in the New Currents section.[37]
^The NETPAC Award is given to the best film selected by the NETPAC jury among the films screened in the New Currents section. NETPAC is an international organization founded in 1990, and is devoted to the expansion of Asian film distribution and screening.[37]
^The DGK Plus M Award goes to two Korean films from the Korean Cinema Today – Vision section. Each winner will be granted ₩5 million. This cash prize is sponsored by the Directors Guild of Korea and Plus M.[37]
^The CGV Award was created to spotlight innovative films that present a new vision of Korean cinema from the Korean Cinema Today – Vision section. The winner receives a cash prize of ₩10 million sponsored by CJ CGV.[37]
^The KBS Independent Film Award is given to support Korean independent films. One Korean film was selected from the Korean Cinema Today – Vision and New Currents sections to receive ₩10 million sponsored by KBS.[37]
References
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^Yang Yu-jin (September 5, 2023). "송강호, 제28회 부산국제영화제 대표한다…'올해의 호스트' 확정" [Song Kang-ho represents the 28th Busan International Film Festival... ‘Host of the Year’ confirmed]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
^ abLee Ha-neul (September 19, 2023). "제28회 부산국제영화제 폐막식 사회자, 배우 홍경·고민시 확정" [Actors Hong Kyung and Ko Min-si confirmed as emcees for the closing ceremony of the 28th Busan International Film Festival]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
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^Jeong Min-ki (September 28, 2023). "BIFF, 아시아 신인감독과 독립영화 창작자 위한 상 신설" [BIFF establishes new award for new Asian directors and independent film creators]. No Cut News (in Korean). Retrieved September 30, 2023.
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^Yang Yu-jin (October 5, 2023). ""이제훈 오빠 응원"…박은빈, 부산국제영화제 첫 단독 사회 맹활약 '호평' [28th BIFF](종합)" [“I support Lee Je-hoon oppa”… Park Eun-bin, first solo social performance at the Busan International Film Festival receives rave reviews [28th BIFF] (comprehensive)]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
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^Lee Ha-neul (September 15, 2023). "제28회 부산국제영화제, '한국이 싫어서'→'LTNS' 오픈 토크·야외무대인사 일정 공개" [28th Busan International Film Festival, 'Because I Hate Korea' → 'LTNS' Open Talk and Outdoor Stage Greeting Schedule Revealed]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
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^Kim Bo-ra (September 5, 2023). "'홍콩 톱스타' 주윤발 부산 온다…올해의 아시아영화인상 [28회 BIIFF]" [‘Hong Kong top star’ Chow Yun-Fat comes to Busan… Asian Film Actor of the Year Award [28th BIIFF]]. Osen (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
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