The 2024 Busan International Film Festival is set to kick off on October 2 with the global debut of Uprising, a historical war saga directed by Kim Sang-man and penned by Park Chan-wook, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The festival's 29th iteration, spanning 10 days, will wrap up with Singaporean director Eric Khoo's Spirit World, featuring French cinema legend Catherine Deneuve.
Uprising, a compelling historical drama brought to life by a stellar team of directors, writers, and actors, and Khoo's Spirit World, a collaborative effort delving into profound existential queries and the essence of life through exquisite cinematic artistry, were highlighted by Park Do-shin, the festival's interim director and former senior programmer at Busan. Notably, Uprising marks the first streaming film to open the festival.
Park Kwang-su, the newly appointed festival chairperson, reassured Busan enthusiasts at a press briefing that this year's festival will reintroduce cherished traditions from past editions. "Upon reflecting on last year's festival, we identified several missing elements that we felt should be reinstated," Park explained. "We are reintroducing offline daily publications, previously available only online, and restoring the shuttle bus service and festival lounge for attendees to unwind and socialize."
These adjustments are significant for the festival organizers, who, despite a nearly halved government subsidy this year, have managed to increase the number of screenings by 8 percent, showcasing 224 films from 63 countries, bolstered by increased corporate sponsorship. This year's lineup includes 279 films, featuring 13 international premieres and 86 world premieres.
The festival will honor Kurosawa Kiyoshi, the recipient of the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award and renowned Japanese writer-director known for psychological horror films like 'Cure' (1997), by screening his recent works 'Serpent's Path' and 'Cloud,' which debuted at the Venice Film Festival. Other notable Asian filmmakers featured include Jia Zhangke's Caught by the Tides, a sweeping narrative of modern China, and Mohammad Rasoulof's The Seed of Sacred Fig, a stark depiction of Iran's political climate and the oppression of women.
The festival will also showcase works from esteemed European filmmakers, such as Bruno Dumont's The Empire, which earned the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Sean Baker's Anora, the Palme d'Or winner at Cannes. Additionally, it will highlight Miguel Gomes' films, including Grand Tour, for which he received the best director award at Cannes this year.
Busan has expanded its screening of Korean commercial films this year, featuring titles like Bogota: City of the Lost, a crime drama starring Song Joong-ki about Colombian immigrants, and Hear Me: Our Summer, a Korean adaptation of the classic Taiwanese romance. The festival will also dedicate a special section to honor the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, featuring his earlier works and a screening of Parasite, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Director Lee Ran-hee will present her second feature film, The Final Semester, following her debut Leave (2020), which premiered in Busan's New Currents section. Park Song-yeol, a frequent participant at Busan, will return with Kike Will Hit a Home Run. The film adaptation of the popular Japanese TV series Solitary Gourmet will premiere in an outdoor theater, while the French thriller Night Call will be featured in the Midnight Passion section, catering to thriller, horror, and action film enthusiasts, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
