BUSAN- The 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), one of Asia’s most prominent film events, has officially unveiled its robust program for this year. Spanning from October 4th to 13th, the festival will showcase a diverse array of films across 25 screens at venues including the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, LOTTE CINEMA Centum City, and LOTTE CINEMA Daeyoung.
Key Information:
- Dates: Oct 4 (Wed) – 13 (Fri), 2023
- Screening Venues: Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, LOTTE CINEMA Centum City, LOTTE CINEMA Daeyoung (Community BIFF)
- Screenings: A total of 269 films. The official selection comprises 209 films from 69 countries, including 87 World Premieres and 7 International Premieres. The community BIFF will present 60 films.
Ticketing Schedule: For those eager to attend, ticketing for the opening and closing ceremonies starts on September 20th, 2:00 pm (KST). The general screening bookings commence on September 22nd, 2:00 pm (KST). The full film schedule is available on the festival’s official website.
Opening and Closing Films: The festival will kick off with “Because I Hate Korea” directed by Jang Kun-jae, adapted from Chang Kangmyoung’s best-selling 2015 novel. It’s a reflective exploration about life’s meaning. The festival concludes with “The Movie Emperor” by Ning Hao, starring the iconic Andy Lau. Notably, it has been 17 years since Ning Hao’s “Crazy Stone” was spotlighted at BIFF.
Special Guests and Sections: Actors Lee Je-hoon and Park Eun-bin will be the hosts of the grand opening ceremony. The festival also heralds selections for its competition sections, New Currents and Jiseok. New Currents will showcase 10 films by emerging directors from countries like Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, and India. These films will compete for the New Currents Award.
Recognizing Legends: This year’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year award will be bestowed upon the stalwart of Hong Kong cinema, Chow Yun Fat. In his honor, BIFF will be screening “One More Chance” from 2023, along with classics like “A Better Tomorrow” (1986) and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000).
For those interested in immersing themselves in the cinematic brilliance of BIFF, details on the festival, and ticketing can be found on the official website.
