Busan International Film Festival 2024: A Grand Cinematic Extravaganza

The 2024 Busan International Film Festival opens on October 2 with 'Uprising' by Kim Sang-man and closes on October 12 with 'Spirit World' by Eric Khoo. The festival will feature 279 films, including 13 international premieres. Special segments will commemorate influential filmmakers and actors.

The 2024 Busan International Film Festival will commence on October 2, featuring the international premiere of 'Uprising,' a historical war epic directed by Kim Sang-man and scripted by Park Chan-wook, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Closing the 10-day event on October 12 will be 'Spirit World' by Singaporean director Eric Khoo, starring French icon Catherine Deneuve.

'Uprising' is being lauded as a captivating historical drama, backed by an outstanding team of filmmakers and actors. 'Spirit World,' a co-production, explores fundamental questions of human existence through beautiful cinematic expression, says Park Do-shin, the festival's acting director. Notably, 'Uprising' is the first streaming film to be chosen as the festival's opening movie.

Park Kwang-su, the newly appointed festival chairperson, pledged at a press conference to revive some of the festival's traditional elements. 'When we reviewed last year's event, it became evident that several essential elements were missing,' Park said. 'We've decided to bring back offline dailies, a shuttle bus service, and a festival lounge to enhance the guest experience.'

Despite a nearly halved government subsidy, the festival organisers have increased screenings by 8 percent compared to last year, showcasing 279 films, including 224 official selections from 63 countries. This year's festival will honor Kurosawa Kiyoshi, the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award recipient, by screening two of his latest films. Highlights also include works from Jia Zhangke, Mohammad Rasoulof, Bruno Dumont, Sean Baker, and Miguel Gomes.

The festival will also extend screenings of Korean commercial films such as 'Bogota: City of the Lost' and 'Hear Me: Our Summer.' A special segment will commemorate the late Lee Sun-kyun, featuring his earlier works along with a screening of 'Parasite.' Additionally, the festival will see new releases from directors Lee Ran-hee and Park Song-yeol.

Other notable screenings include the film adaptation of the Japanese TV series 'Solitary Gourmet' and the French thriller 'Night Call' as part of the Midnight Passion segment, which caters to fans of thrillers, horror, and action films, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

(With inputs from agencies.)