Netflix War Epic "Ballerina" to Open Asia's Largest Film Festival

29th Busan Int'l Film Festival kicks off

Movie fans stand in line to buy merchandise of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) at Busan Cinema Center, Wednesday. Yonhap BIFF targets mainstream audiences with Netflix openerBy Baek Byung-yeul BUSAN -- The 29th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Asia's largest film festival, kicked off Wednesday with an emphasis on attracting wider audiences through accessible selections, ranging from opening films to special programs. This year's BIFF has generated excitement with its most groundbreaking approach yet, embracing movies and series content from streaming platforms. The move can be viewed as the local film industry's effort to find a breakthrough as the Korean film scene continues to face challenges in the post-pandemic era. The festival will screen 279 films from 63 countries across 26 screens at five theaters in Busan, including screens at the Busan Cinema Center. The most notable aspect of the 11-day event is the inclusion of content from global streaming platforms such as Netflix and local platform Tving. Notably, Netflix's upcoming film "Uprising" has been selected as the opening film. This is the first time a Netflix production has held this honor in the festival's history. Produced and co-written by "Old Boy" (2003) director Park Chan-wook, the movie follows the son (Park Jeong-min) of a powerful nobleman and his servant and friend (Gang Dong-won) as they turn their swords on each other, set during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Kim Sang-man, left, director of Netflix's film "Uprising," which was selected as the opening film of the Busan International Film Festival, poses with the movie's actors during a press conference following its premiere in Busan, Wednesday. Standing next to the director, from left, are actors Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min, Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rok, Jin Sun-kyu and Jung Sung-il. Yonhap The main actors of the film said they were happy that "Uprising" was selected as the opening film at BIFF. "'Uprising' was selected as the opening film at BIFF and we are very happy to be able to visit Busan," Gang said during a press conference after the film's premiere. In response to criticism about the decline of the Korean film scene since the pandemic, Park said that if actors and staff continue to strive for higher quality films, the industry could regain more attention and appreciation. "If the staff and actors in the movie scene always continue to work hard to make movies, I think we will be able to show our movies at such great festivals and Korean movies will be loved by many people," he said. Regarding the decision to choose a streaming platform film rather than a theatrical release as the opener, Park Do-sin, co-deputy director of the festival, said, "We didn't worry about it being a Netflix film and made our decision based on the work itself. We won't exclude content from streaming platforms from the festival in the future either." Citizens walk past posters of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday. The BIFF will be held in the city from Wednesday to Oct. 11. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul Director Yeon Sang-ho, best known for his work on the zombie film "Train to Busan" (2016), will debut the second season of the Netflix series "Hellbound" at the festival. Additionally, Netflix will showcase "Beyond Goodbye," featuring Japanese heartthrob actor Kentaro Sakaguchi. Tving, a domestic streaming platform, will present its upcoming original content "Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard" and "Way Back Love." Apple TV+ has two documentaries, including "The Last of the Sea Women," invited to the festival's Wide Angle, a documentary competition section. In addition to the streaming platform works designed for broader appeal, BIFF is also showcasing films that cater to true movie lovers. Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi will receive this year's Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award, and his two recent works "Serpent's Path" and "Cloud" will also be featured. In addition to the Japanese film master, Miguel Gomes, who won the Best Director award with "Grand Tour" at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and Chinese director Ann Hui will visit Busan to share their cinematic experiences at the Master Class section of the festival. The Asia Contents & Film Market will take place for four days, from Saturday to Tuesday, during the film festival. This event serves as a comprehensive content market for trading a wide range of materials, including film and video content, as well as intellectual properties such as stories. This year's event will feature enhanced programs such as the Producers Hub, which will serve as a platform for international co-productions, and the artificial intelligence (AI) conference, which will discuss the convergence of technology and film, the organizers said.

Netflix war epic to open Asia's largest film festival

SEOUL (AFP) - A Netflix period war drama produced by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook will open Asia's largest film festival Wednesday, the first time a streaming title has kicked off the event. Directed by Kim Sang-man and featuring Korean megastar Gang Dong-won in a lead role, "Uprising" is one of 224 official entries at this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which runs until October 11. The film has attracted significant attention ahead of its world premiere thanks largely to the involvement of Park, best-known for ultra-violent thrillers like 2003's "Old Boy", which played a key role in bringing South Korean cinema to the global forefront. Park was a screenwriter and producer on "Uprising", a story set during Korea's Joseon Dynasty about two friends who grow up together -- but become enemies when war breaks out in the country. "I believed it was a work that could appeal to the public (the most) among all the (BIFF) opening films in history," Park Do-shin, the festival's acting director, has said of the choice. Streaming-only content like Netflix's "Squid Game" and the Apple TV+ series "Pachinko" have contributed to a significant surge in the global visibility of Korean and Korean diaspora stories in recent years. Busan's 2024 line-up reflects how that content has become an "important part of our culture," BIFF programmer Jung Han-seok said. On Wednesday morning, ahead of the opening ceremony, visitors were already queuing at festival venues, while the red carpet for the star-studded opening ceremony had been laid out. Why streaming? The decision to open this year's edition with a major streaming title, however, has sparked criticism within South Korea's cinema community, as BIFF has long been dedicated to supporting emerging talents in Asia as well as small-scale, independent films. "I find it disappointing that a streaming title was selected as the opening film," Kay Heeyoung Kim, who owns film studio K-Dragon, told AFP. "The challenges confronting the theatre-based physical film market and filmmakers can be partly attributed to the streaming platforms." This year's edition also comes as organisers still grapple with the fallout from former festival director Huh Moon-yung, who resigned last year amid accusations of sexual misconduct. The director position remains vacant. The South Korean government's budget for supporting film festivals including BIFF was also slashed by half this year. Despite those setbacks, this year's 29th edition is presenting about 15 more films than last year, organisers said, with 86 world premieres. BIFF will posthumously honour South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, screening six of the actor's film and television works, including "Parasite", "Our Sunhi" (2013) and a portion of TV series "My Mister" (2018). Best known globally for his starring role in Bong Joon-ho's 2019 Oscar-winner "Parasite", Lee was found dead in an apparent suicide last year after a two-month investigation into suspected drug use, sparking public outrage over what many perceived as an excessive police interrogation. Meanwhile, filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, best known for his contributions to the Japanese horror genre, will receive the festival's Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, joining the ranks of previous winners such as Hong Kong legends Tony Leung and Chow Yun Fat. The Japanese filmmaker is showcasing two new films at BIFF this year: the violent thriller "Cloud" and "Serpent's Path", a French-language remake of his 1998 film of the same name. Other notable world premieres include "RM: Right People, Wrong Place", a documentary on K-pop sensation BTS member RM and the making of his second solo album. Chung, Yu Chieh, a 39-year-old visitor from Taiwan, said she was excited about South Korean director Hur Jin-ho's latest film, "A Normal Family" - a psychological thriller featuring two upper-class couples seemingly leading perfect lives. Featuring some of the most celebrated veteran performers in South Korea - including actress Kim Hee-ae and actor Jang Dong-gun - the film is one of the most anticipated homegrown films to be featured at BIFF this year. "I believe (the festival) will be very special," she told AFP. BIFF's industry platform, the Asian Contents and Film Market, will host a conference focused on the integration of AI in content production -- a current hot-button issue in Hollywood. Companies including South Korea's CJ ENM, Chinese VOD service iQIYI and Microsoft will take part.

Netflix war epic to open Asia's largest film festival

Seoul (AFP) - A Netflix period war drama produced by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook will open Asia's largest film festival Wednesday, the first time a streaming title has kicked off the event. Directed by Kim Sang-man and featuring Korean megastar Gang Dong-won in a lead role, "Uprising" is one of 224 official entries at this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which runs until October 11. The film has attracted significant attention ahead of its world premiere thanks largely to the involvement of Park, best-known for ultra-violent thrillers like 2003's "Old Boy", which played a key role in bringing South Korean cinema to the global forefront. "I believed it was a work that could appeal to the public (the most) among all the (BIFF) opening films in history," Park Do-shin, the festival's acting director, told reporters. Streaming-only content like Netflix's "Squid Game" and the Apple TV+ series "Pachinko" have contributed to a significant surge in the global visibility of Korean and Korean diaspora stories in recent years. Busan's 2024 line-up reflects how that content has become an "important part of our culture," BIFF programmer Jung Han-seok said. Why streaming? The decision to open this year's edition with a major streaming title, however, has sparked criticism within South Korea's cinema community, as BIFF has long been dedicated to supporting emerging talents in Asia as well as small-scale, independent films. "I find it disappointing that a streaming title was selected as the opening film," Kay Heeyoung Kim, who owns film studio K-Dragon, told AFP. "The challenges confronting the theatre-based physical film market and filmmakers can be partly attributed to the streaming platforms." This year's edition also comes as organisers still grapple with the fallout from former festival director Huh Moon-yung, who resigned last year amid accusations of sexual misconduct. The director position remains vacant. The South Korean government's budget for supporting film festivals including BIFF was also slashed by half this year. Despite those setbacks, this year's 29th edition is presenting about 15 more films than last year, organisers said, with 86 world premieres. Award winners BIFF will posthumously honour South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, screening six of the actor's film and television works, including "Parasite", "Our Sunhi" (2013) and a portion of TV series "My Mister" (2018). Best known globally for his starring role in Bong Joon-ho's 2019 Oscar-winner "Parasite", Lee was found dead in an apparent suicide last year after a two-month investigation into suspected drug use, sparking public outrage over what many perceived as an excessive police interrogation. Meanwhile, filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, best known for his contributions to the Japanese horror genre, will receive the festival's Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, joining the ranks of previous winners such as Hong Kong legends Tony Leung and Chow Yun Fat. The Japanese filmmaker is showcasing two of his new films at BIFF this year: the violent thriller "Cloud" and "Serpent's Path", a French-language remake of his 1998 film of the same name. Other notable world premieres include "RM: Right People, Wrong Place", a documentary on K-pop sensation BTS member RM and the making of his second solo album. Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo's drama "Spirit World", featuring French screen icon Catherine Deneuve as a legendary singer who visits Tokyo while mourning the loss of her dog, will close the festival. BIFF's industry platform, the Asian Contents and Film Market, will host a conference focused on the integration of AI in content production -- a current hot-button issue in Hollywood. Companies including South Korea's CJ ENM, Chinese VOD service iQIYI and Microsoft will take part.