Busan Film Festival 2024 to Open with Park Chan-wook’s Netflix Drama ‘Uprising,’ Faces Financial Challenges
The 29th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), set to take place from October 2-11 in South Korea, will open with the highly anticipated world premiere of Uprising, a Netflix period drama produced and co-written by celebrated South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. Directed by Kim Sang-man, Uprising tells the story of two childhood friends, a slave and his master, who become enemies during a tumultuous war. The film features prominent South Korean actors Gang Dong-won and Park Jeong-min, marking the first time a streaming title has been selected as the opening feature of Asia’s largest film festival.
This also signifies the first collaboration between Netflix and Park Chan-wook, a major figure in Korean cinema with credits such as Oldboy and Decision to Leave. Park has also recently gained international attention for his work on the US drama series The Sympathizer.
The festival will close with Spirit World, directed by Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo. This France-Singapore-Japan co-production stars French cinema icon Catherine Deneuve as a famous singer who dies after a concert in Tokyo, encountering a lifelong fan in the afterlife. This marks Khoo's return to Busan, where his debut feature Mee Pok Man premiered in competition in 1995.
In addition to the films, the festival will honor Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa with the prestigious Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. Kurosawa recently premiered Cloud at the Venice Film Festival and will debut his film Serpent’s Path internationally at the San Sebastian Festival before both films screen at Busan. Kurosawa's achievements reflect his longstanding influence on the Asian cinematic landscape.
This year’s festival will showcase a total of 224 films, an increase from the 209 titles in 2023. BIFF is managing this growth despite ongoing financial difficulties, with the South Korean government reducing its arts funding, including a 50% cut in BIFF's government subsidy. Organizers noted the festival has resorted to self-financing to maintain its scale, securing additional venues such as Busan’s KOFIC Theater to accommodate the larger program. Other screening locations include the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, and Lotte Cinema Centum City.
The festival has also introduced a new leadership structure following top-level resignations last year. Co-deputy directors Pak Dosin and Kang Seung-ah will oversee this year’s edition under the supervision of chairperson Park Kwang-su and Ellen Y.D. Kim, director of the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM).
Among the competitive sections, 18 titles will be featured across the New Currents and Jiseok strands. Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who fled Iran earlier this year and appeared at Cannes with The Seed of the Sacred Fig, will serve as president of the New Currents jury.
Several special programs and awards have also been announced. BIFF will honor the late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun with a posthumous Korean Cinema Award and a retrospective of his work. A section dedicated to Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes will feature eight of his films, and a new program called Teen Spirit, Teen Movie will spotlight Asian coming-of-age films such as Tiger Stripes, My Sunshine, and Happyend.
Furthermore, BIFF will introduce a new Documentary Audience Award, offering a prize of $7,500 (KRW10m) to encourage Asian documentary filmmaking. Running alongside the festival, the Asian Contents and Film Market will launch a Producers Hub, with Korea as its first Focus Country. Seminars on AI and streaming will also be held, reflecting the evolving nature of the film industry.
The 6th Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards will take place on October 6, recognizing achievements in digital and streaming content across 11 categories, including Netflix’s Cigarette Girl, Wong Kar Wai’s Blossoms Shanghai, and A Killer Paradox.
This year’s Busan International Film Festival promises a diverse lineup of films and events, showcasing both established and emerging talent while navigating the ongoing challenges posed by funding cuts.