29th Busan International Film Festival

The 29th Busan International Film Festival (Korean: 제29회 부산국제영화제) opened on October 2 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, with South Korean film Uprising by Kim Sang-man, and screened 278 films from 63 countries, including 224 officially invited films and 54 community beef screenings. Park Bo-young and Ahn Jae-hong hosted the opening ceremony.
Mohammad Rasoulof, an Iranian film director was chosen as president of the competitive section 'New Currents' jury. The festival this year announced a Special Program in Focus, 'In Memory of Lee Sun-kyun' who died on December 27, 2023, and was known for his role in the Oscar winning film Parasite. He will also posthumously receive the Korean Film Achievement Award.
The festival closed with the ceremony hosted by Gong Myung and Choi Soo-young. Spirit World, a fantasy-drama film directed by Singapore's Eric Khoo and starring French actress Catherine Deneuve was screened as closing film.
On closing day, the main award of the festival New Currents Award was awarded to the South Korean film The Land Of Morning Calm by Park Yi-woong, set among inhabitants of a rural coastal community; and a co-production film Ma – Cry of Silence by The Maw Nang, a film about a young Burmese woman who moves to the big city to work in a garment factory.
The film registration for the festival began in March 2024 with the closing date for submission fixed for July 17, 2024.
The poster for 29th edition of the festival was unveiled on August 27, 2024. Based on the motif of numerous waves powerfully rising in the ocean of films, symbolically capturing the diverse waves of films, each with their own story, the art director Choi Soon-dae, who has been working as an art director since the 2nd Busan International Film Festival planned and designed it. According to the director Choi Soon-dae, "The image of the ocean, a space of infinite possibilities, and waves of different colors coming together is so vivid that it seems to visualize a fleeting moment of the Busan International Film Festival."
This year documentary filmmakers competed for a new prize, an audience award for feature documentaries. The prize was given to a single documentary feature competing within "Wide Angle – Documentary" section of the festival.
The titles for New Currents and Jiseok, the competitive sections were announced on August 27, 2024. 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. On September 3, BIFF unveiled full line-up for its 2024 edition and announced Kiyoshi Kurosawa the winner of Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. The opening film of the festival was Kim Sang-man's Uprising and closing film Eric Khoo's France, Singapore, Japan co-production Spirit World, a fantasy film starring French actress Catherine Deneuve.
From this edition, the "Camellia Award" was introduced, named after Busan’s city flower, the camellia. This award, established with the involvement of Chanel, aims to raise the status of women in the film industry. Ryu Seong-hie, South Korean film art director is the first recipient of the award.
The eve event to wish the success of the festival was held on October 1, at the outdoor stage of BIFF Square in Jung-gu, Busan. The event hosted by South Korean actress, singer-songwriter, director and artist Ku Hye-sun and creator Lee Seung-guk had celebratory performances by singer Won Mi-yeon [ko], and DJ 'New Jinsnim's' DJing. In the event, South Korean actor Cho Jin-woong, who was selected as the ‘Actor Beloved by Busan’ this year, received a plaque of appreciation, and a handprint unveiling ceremony for Hong Kong actor and filmmaker Chow Yun-fat, who visited the festival last year, was also held.
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Opening ceremony of the festival was held at Busan Cinema Center Outdoor Theater on October 2 and broadcast live on Naver TV. Park Bo-young and Ahn Jae-hong hosted the opening ceremony attended by the Korean and international stars from the film industry. Kiyoshi Kurosawa was presented the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, whereas Ryu Seong-hie, a South Korean film art director was honoured with Camellia Award, which named after Busan’s city flower, the camellia, introduced this year with the involvement of Chanel and aims to raise the status of women in the film industry. A video commemorating the late Lee Sun-kyun, the recipient of the Korean Film Achievement Award was played.
Gong Myung and Choi Soo-young acted as master of ceremonies of closing ceremony held at Busan Cinema Center Outdoor Theater on October 11. According to the Busan Film Festival Organizing Committee, 278 films, including 224 official from 63 countries and 54 community BIFF screenings were showcased. 145,238 people watched the event. The festival closed with Spirit World, a fantasy-drama film directed by Singapore's Eric Khoo and starring French actress Catherine Deneuve.
Actors House was held from October 3 to 6 at Culture Hall, 9F, Shinsegae, Centum City.
Master classes was held from October 3 to 6 at 11F Conference Hall, Busan Film & Audio Visual Industry Center
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The festival has following sections:
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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.
This section selected films from Asian directors with a portfolio of more than three feature films, and from the line-up of eight films, two were honoured with Jiseok awards.
This year 12 films were showcased as world premiere.
This year, the section will screen five films, including four world premieres.
A collection of new and internationally acclaimed films, offering an ideal mix of the popular with the artistic are screened at the hallmark outdoor theater.
A collection of thrillers, horror and action films.
In this section 4 Korean 1 Taiwanese and 1 Japanese works will be released for the first time in the world.
The festival will hold 'In Memory of Lee Sun-kyun', a special feature program and screen six of the late actor's works and hold a special talk, while looking back on his acting life and achievements and creating a meaningful memorial.
Miguel Gomes has been invited to the festival, where his eight full-length films will be screened.
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