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Curtains fall on Busan int’l film festival after 10-day run

October 13, 2023

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) drew to a close Friday, attracting more than 140,000 movie lovers to the southeastern port city for the past 10 days.

The 28th edition of the BIFF screened 209 films from 70 countries at four theaters, including 88 world and international premieres, its organizer said.

The festival’s seat occupancy rate came to 82 percent, higher than last year’s 72 percent, demonstrating the power of Asia’s largest film festival despite initial concerns about a leadership vacuum following an internal feud.

A pedestrian walks past a sign for the Busan International Film Festival at the Busan Cinema Center in the southeastern port city of Busan in this file photo taken May 15, 2023. (Yonhap)

The New Currents Award, in recognition of passion for and interest in social issues, went to “The Wrestler” by Iqbal H. Chowdhury and “September 1923″ by Mori Tatsuya.

The Kim Jiseok Award went to “Paradise” by Prasanna Vithanage and “Bride Kidnapping” by Mirlan Abdykalykov. The award was established to mark the spirit of the late BIFF program director Kim Ji-seok.

Both “The Voices of the Silenced,” co-directed by Park Soo-nam and Park Maeui, and Jin Jiang’s “Republic” received the BIFF Mecenat Award for outstanding Asian feature-length documentaries.

The Sonje Award, given to the best Korean and Asian short films, went to “Mydear” by Jeon Do-hee and Kim So-hee and “21 Weeks Later” by Nasrin Mohammadpour.

The 27th Busan International Film Festival opens for a 10-day run at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan in this file photo taken Oct. 5, 2022, featuring 243 films from 71 countries, including 89 world premieres and 13 international debuts. (Yonhap)

South Korean actor Jang Sung-bum of “Work To Do” was chosen as Actor of the Year for his “profound comprehension of the work, insightful character analysis and subtle performance” that left a “lasting impression,” the organizer said.

Oh Mi-nae of “Concerning My Daughter” was the other recipient of the same award for her expression of “subtle emotions and changes in the conflicts of the character through a delicate and passionate performance.”

The festival ended with the screening of Ning Hao’s “The Movie Emperor” featuring Andy Lau. The industry satire is about a has-been Hong Kong movie star who tries to make a comeback.

The 18th edition of the Asian Contents & Film Market drew nearly 2,500 participants from 49 countries, up 30 percent from the previous year, serving as a vibrant venue to promote and sell original content from various countries and regions.