The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the premier cinematic event in the country, is preparing for this year’s showcase as the organizer continues to unveil details, including 30 new works from Asian directors.
This year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will be held in theaters around Busan from October 2 to 11. In addition to the main event, the organizers announced that 30 new works will be introduced at the Asian Project Market (APM), a film investment and co-production marketplace held alongside the festival.
“For the 27th Asian Project Market this year, 441 projects from 44 countries were submitted, and among them, 30 feature film projects from 17 countries were officially selected to be presented to film investors and production company representatives during the festival in October,” the organizer said in a statement.
The organizer noted that the submitted works, set against the politically, socially and culturally diverse backgrounds of various Asian countries, are attracting attention for maximizing entertainment and freedom of expression while faithfully conveying their messages.
They added several new projects from talented Asian directors discovered by the BIFF were selected for this year’s APM.
Among the notable works are Bangladeshi director Iqbal H. Chowdhury’s new film, “Dhakar Nagin.” Chowdhury won the New Currents Award last 한국을 year for his film “The Wrestler.” Also featured is Indonesian director Wregas Bhanuteja’s latest film, “Levitating,” who previously directed the 2021 New Currents invited film “Photocopier.”
Seven works by Korean directors were also selected. The organizer stated that these works combine novel subjects with solid storytelling.
They are director Oh Se-yeon’s “DO BYE Nursing Hospital,” Jeong Beom’s “Door-Frame,” Shin A-ga’s “Hellfire Club,” Jung Won-hee’s “Strange Marriage,” Kang Dong-hun’s “Ulaanbaatar” and Shin Su-won’s “A Way to Etretat.”
“These new projects from Korean directors raise expectations even further by embracing various genres such as road movies, fantasy, action noir, romantic comedy and black comedy,” the organizer said.
BIFF is celebrating its 29th edition this year. The festival recently unveiled this year’s poster, which features a design inspired by rising sea waves. According to the organizers, the motif symbolizes films from diverse backgrounds coming together.