Busan Film Fest Opens with Park Chan-wook’s ‘Uprising,’ Expands Program

The Busan International Film Festival is set to expand its screening program by about 8% in an effort to uphold its standing as Asia’s premier film festival. This expansion comes despite a significant 50% reduction in government financial support.

The festival will begin with “Uprising,” a period drama from Netflix. The film, which was scripted and produced by Park Chan-wook, famous for “Oldboy,” and directed by Kim Sang-man, promises a star-studded opening.

The festival’s closing film will be “Spirit World,” directed by Eric Khoo and featuring French icon Catherine Deneuve. This film was shot in Japan.

“Uprising” tells the story of a servant played by Gang Dong-won and his master, the son of a noble family with military ties. This complicated relationship, although agreeing the servant should be free, becomes a source of friction. The film boasts a stellar cast, including Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rock, Jin Sun-kyu, and Jung Sung-il. Festival selectors emphasized the film’s intense conflict and Park Chan-wook’s trademark humor.

This year, Japan’s Kurosawa Kiyoshi will receive the prestigious Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award. His film “Cloud” recently premiered in Venice, while “Serpent’s Path” will have its international premiere in San Sebastian. Both films will be screened at the Busan festival.

The festival will screen a total of 224 titles, including both features and shorts, in its official selection. An additional 55 films will be part of its community outreach program. To accommodate such an expansive lineup, the festival will use 28 screens across seven venues, such as the KOFIC Theater close to the main festival center in the Centum area.

Despite the renowned impact of Korea’s entertainment sector, state funding has been cut under the current government. This has forced the festival to seek out more commercial sponsorships and private funding. This effort was further complicated by internal conflicts that became public last year. Veteran Park Kwang-su was appointed chairman in January, while Pak Dosin was kept as deputy director. However, the festival is still without a permanent director.

Leading up to Tuesday’s press announcement, the festival revealed retrospectives for Miguel Gomes and a tribute to the late Korean star Lee Sun-kyun. It also introduced a new section titled ‘Teen Spirit, Teen Movie.’

The main competition sections, New Currents and Jiseok, had their selections already announced. Furthermore, a new Documentary Audience Award, valued at KRW10,000,000 ($7,500), was introduced, with more non-competitive programming details to be disclosed.

The festival’s five main gala slots will feature Kurosawa’s “Cloud” and “Serpent’s Path,” along with Jia Zhangke’s “Caught by the Tides,” Gomes’ “Grand Tour,” and Patricia Mazuy’s “Visiting Hours.”

Source: Variety