The 29th Busan International Film Festival, which opened grandly on Oct 2 (Wed) with the opening film Uprising and an opening ceremony, is now on its sixth day. Uprising, screened at the Busan Cinema Center BIFF Theatre with both the cast and audience in attendance, garnered widespread acclaim from critics and moviegoers alike. Open Cinema started on Oct 3 (Thurs), drawing over 4,000 attendees per show. All four featured films, including the highly anticipated RM: Right People, Wrong Place for Oct 7 (Mon), have sold out, highlighting the remarkable level of engagement from the audience. Of the 188 selections, 286 of the total 587 screenings reached 90% seat occupancy. Such figures highlight the passion of the festival’s dedicated movie fans.

In addition, the 29th Busan International Film Festival continues to impress countless movie fans, providing them with cherished moments with Open Talks at the BIFF Theatre, featuring films like Uprising, A Normal Family, and Bogota: City of the Lost and their cast. Outdoor Greetings for films such as Revolver and Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard also drew crowds so large. Furthermore, Actors’ House, featuring actors Sul Kyung-gu, Park Boyoung, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee, and three Master Classes, were sold out completely, further underscoring the event’s successful conclusion.

This year’s Busan International Film Festival has also captured the audience’s attention of director Kurosawa Kiyoshi, the winner of The Asian Filmmaker of the Year; director Miguel Gomes, whose all eight features have screened in Busan; actor Matsushige Yutaka, who directed The Solitary Gourmet. The festival also showcases diverse fresh films across key sections such as New Currents, Flash Forward, Korean Cinema Today, Wide Angle, and more.

Meanwhile, the Asian Contents & Film Market, held on Oct 5 (Sat) at BEXCO Exhibition Center 2, noted a successful start with its newly launched Producer Hub and AI Conference program. The second day of ACFM was full of busy meeting schedules with pavilions and sales companies worldwide, along with the Asian Project Market and the Busan Story Market. Community BIFF, a film festival curated by audiences, has connected with the audiences with various events such as Request Cinema and All Day Cinema. BIFF Everywhere, which screens films at nine different locations, has also benefitted from the pleasant autumn weather. Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards (ACA & G.OTT Awards) dazzled the Busan Cinema Center yesterday with director Wong Kar-wai’s first TV series, Blossoms Shanghai, winning Best Creative, the original soundtrack of Imperfect Us and the casts of Lovely Runners winning the newly established Best Original Song and People’s Choice Award respectively. Through the awards presented in 18 categories, ACA & G.OTT has reaffirmed the global status of Asian content.

In the latter half of the festival, the newly reinstated programs Short Film, Long Chat, and Talk-to-Talk will run until Oct 9 (Wed), facilitating meetings with emerging directors from Korea and Asia. Additionally, an Open Talk featuring director Leos Carax and actor Ryu Junyeol will take place Oct 9 (Wed). The 29th Busan International Film Festival, rich and vibrant as ever, will conclude with the screening of director Eric Khoo’s Spirit World on Oct 11 (Fri).

The Busan International Film Festival still awaits countless film screenings and events to welcome audiences and will be held in Busan Cinema Center until Oct 11 (Fri).

▶ The 29th Busan International Film Festival | Oct 2 (Wed) – Oct 11 (Fri)
▶ The 19th Asian Contents & Film Market | Oct 5 (Sat) – Oct 8 (Tues)