Busan Festival Claims Best-Ever Selection, Sets ‘Because I Hate Korea’ as Opening Film

The Busan International Film Festival put aside many of its recent internal and local political problems to Tuesday unveil a large selection ranging from bleeding edge art titles to international festival favorites.

The difficult times are not behind us, but hard work has made this years festival better than ever, said programmer and interim festival chief Nam Dong-chul, speaking at an online press conference.

International guests expected to attend the festival include Luc Besson, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, Japanese directors Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Korean Americans Justin Chon (Gook) and Lee Isaac Chung (Minari).

Hong Kong-based superstar Chow Yun-fat has been named as Busans Asian Filmmaker of the Year and will be in person to receive the award. The Korean Cinema Award will presented to the late Yun Jung-hee, the actress who starred in The Generals Mustache and Lee Chang-dongs 2010 drama Poetry.

The festival will open with a book-to-film adaptation of frustration and emigration Because I Hate Korea, by local filmmaker Jang Kun-jae. Nam said that Korea is a great film based on a well-known and important youth story.

The festival will close with The Movie Emperor, a sparkling satire on the film industry by Chinas Ning Hao.

Gala screenings will include: Bertrand Bonellos The Beast, Han Shuais Fan-starring Green Night and Kore-edas Monster.

International festival winners and presentations include: David Finchers The Killer Berlin festival-winner On The Adamant Ken Loachs The Old Oak Justine Triets Cannes Palme dOr winner Anatomy of a Fall Wim Wenders Anselm Yorgos Lanthimos Poor Things Wang Bings Youth (Spring) Tran Ahn Hungs Pot-au-Feu Marco Bellocchios Kidnapped and Aki Kaurismakis Fallen Leaves. Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo appears twice with In Our Day and In Water.

During the Tuesday conference, Nam admitted that in prioritizing the film selections, organizers had been forced to drop the BIFF Forum conference section. He also said that the highly public infighting had frightened off a number of sponsors and that the festival had to reduce its operating budget to about KRW10 billion ($7.45 million).

More to follow.