31st BIFF Opens Amid Global Star Appearances; 'The Assassins' Schedule Cancelled

*This content was translated by AI.

The Busan International Film Festival, which has leaped forward as a film festival recognized by the world, raises its curtain once again. A rich program has been prepared, including the visits of world-renowned masters and stars to Korea, as well as various events where actors meet audiences directly.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will be held for ten days from the 6th to the 15th in and around Busan. It will meet audiences at eight theaters with 31 screens, including the BIFF Hall, CGV Centum City, Lotte Cinema Centum City, the Korea Film Council standard screening room, Sohyang Theater Woori Bank Hall, and the public hall of the Busan City Self-Media Center.

A total of 316 films will be screened at this year's festival. Official selections comprise 247 films from 59 countries, among which a total of 103 films, including 93 world premieres and 10 international premieres, will be shown for the first time to global or overseas audiences.

The competition section, newly established last year, enters its second edition this year. Building on the high interest and achievements of the inaugural year, the level and scope of submissions have broadened further, with a final 13 films selected as competition entries.

'That Day's Tae-ju' (Lim Ha-yeon, South Korea), 'Between Two Lovers' (Hirosawa Nanako, Japan), 'The Day After Sunday' (Kato Takuya, Japan), 'First Met Loneliness' (Gou Yu, China), 'Hill Roll' (Botir Abdurakhmanov, Uzbekistan), 'Long Long Night' (Yeom Gyu-bok, South Korea), 'Bread and Books' (Majid Majidi, Iran), 'My Mother' (Edi Chahyono, Indonesia/Japan), 'Satoko Is Always' (Okita Shuichi, Japan), 'Names Carved in the Sea' (Yosep Anggi Noen, Indonesia), 'Shaving' (Kim Jung-hoon, South Korea), 'Silver Express' (Tanaka Miki, Japan), and 'To Be Ordinary' (Li Wen-Chan, Taiwan) have been named to the competition section.

The opening film of this year's festival is 'Day and Night Are for Each Other,' directed by Kim Jong-kwan. The work captures the conversations between day and night during a single season spent at a cafe; it is a dialogue-driven drama that stands out for its delicate direction, thoughtful gaze, and warm humor.

Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Jang Rul, Shim Eun-kyung, Lee Hee-jun, Jeon So-young, Kim Dong-hwi, and others appear to showcase an acting ensemble. The opening film is scheduled to be screened with approximately 5,000 audience members immediately after the opening ceremony held at the outdoor theater of the BIFF Hall on the 6th.

Actor Kim Min-ha will serve as the sole host of this year's opening ceremony. Domestic and international film figures are also flocking to Busan in large numbers to walk the red carpet.

Visits by masters and stars representing the global film industry continue. Hollywood actor and director Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her first visit to Korea with her new work 'Flesh Impact,' made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's birth. Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, is visiting Busan for the first time in 15 years to receive this year's Asia Film Person of the Year award.

French actress Isabelle Huppert will meet Busan audiences with her new work 'Tomorrow Has a Name,' and Indonesian national treasure Christine Hakim also attends the festival.

The lineup of directors is equally impressive. Iranian director Majid Majidi, well known domestically for 'Children of Heaven,' visits Korea for the first time with his competition section selection 'Bread and Books.' Japanese animation master Rintaro visits a domestic film festival for the first time in 25 years to introduce his representative work 'Metropolis.'

Philippine master Lav Diaz visits Korea for the first time in 10 years, while Hong Kong director Herman Yau comes to Busan to receive the Camellia Award. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda meets Busan audiences with 'Look Back,' and director Tsai Ming-liang returns to meet Busan audiences again following last year's appearance.

French director Bertrand Mandico visits Busan with his new work 'Roma Elastica,' starring Marion Cotillard. Domestically, director Lee Chang-dong attends with 'Possible Love,' director Na Hong-jin with 'Hope,' and director Kim Ji-woon participates in the Carte Blanche event.

Stars representing various Asian countries are also heading to Busan in large numbers. From the Chinese-speaking region, director and actor Xu Qi, as well as Zhou Xun and Fan Bingbing, attend.

From Japan, Nagasawa Masami, Emoto Tasuku, Kuroki Haru, Yokohama Ryusei, Yamazaki Kento, Matsushita Kohei, Sawajiri Erika, Maruyama Ryuhei, Nagayama Eita, and others meet audiences. Michieda Shunsuke and Anzai Seira also attend, completing a Japanese star lineup that spans generations.

The faces of a new generation also draw attention. In addition to Shu Hua, who has embarked on a new challenge as a film actress, Michelle Mao and Jin Ha, who are expanding their areas of activity between Asia and Hollywood, and actor Dawika Hone, among others, visit Busan.

Side events where actors meet audiences directly, such as outdoor stage greetings, open talks, and Actors House, will also be held throughout the festival period.

Actors House is a talk program in which actors representing the current era look back on their filmographies to share their acting philosophies and behind-the-scenes stories of their works with audiences. This year, a total of five actors are scheduled to participate: Kim Go-eun, Kim Min-ha, Ryu Seung-ryong, Shin Min-a, and Joo Ji-hoon.

However, all Busan International Film Festival schedules related to the film 'The Assassins' have been cancelled. An outdoor stage greeting was originally scheduled with director Heo Jin-ho and actors Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho, but attendance at the opening ceremony and the outdoor stage greeting schedule were cancelled at the request of the production company. The previously scheduled 'Actors House: Lee Min-ho' has also been cancelled.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will be held for ten days from the 6th to the 15th in and around Busan.

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*This content was translated by AI.