Busan International Film Festival 2011 - The BIFF 2011 Busan Haps Guide
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2 weeks 21 hours agoSEOUL, South Korea - Korean films along with those of other Asian countries like Japan and China have been presented at many festivals around the globe and often come away with awards; however, these films are seldom introduced to German audiences. The Haus der Kulturen der Welt collaborates with the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) to display a comprehensive program of the most exciting Korean contributions that are seldom shown in Germany. The program will focus on younger Korean film talent who look at the country’s social realities and offer an exquisite insight into the Korean mindset. The eleven films produced over the last two years will be presented... READ MORE -
4 weeks 1 day agoBUSAN, South Korea - The 17th Busan International Film Festival has unveiled this year’s official poster. The poster is based on the work of one of the greatest artists in KOREA; HONG Purume’s painting ‘Opening His Light’ and designed by BIFF Artistic director, CHOI Soondae. The original work is a visualization of light in the beginning of time. It represents the theme of god’s “creation” and “freedom”. The “light” in the poster symbolizes the world of light recreated by the film camera and the projector. The contrast between the black ink and the void directly speaks to the festival’s dynamic force.... READ MORE -
12 weeks 3 days agoSEOUL - The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) of the Busan International Film Festival is seeking new and talented projects in Asia for 2012. The Asian Cinema Fund is committed to helping activate more independent film productions and the creation of a stable production environment for Asian filmmakers through the three categories of the Script Development Fund, Post-Production Fund, and Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund. The Notable Achievement of ACF Since its inception, ACF has been the strongest supporter of independent films in Asia and it has developed into a springboard for young talented filmmakers across the region that will foster and develop creativity... READ MORE -
17 weeks 6 days agoBUSAN, South Korea -- When I tell people that I’m a film critic, the question I’m most often asked is “What are some good Korean films I should see?” More often than not, people tend to end up at a DVD-room without a clue as to what Korean film to partake in other than “Old Boy,” which I think almost everyone has seen more than once. Usually there are a plethora of choices on hand, from raunchy comedies, to inanely twisted tales of horror, to overtly manipulative melodramas, to downright silly action films that take themselves way too seriously. For those of you who are fairly new to Korean films (or just Korea in... READ MORE -
30 weeks 5 days agoBUSAN, South Korea - The 16th edition of the Busan International Film Festival came to a close yesterday, after a nine day run around Haeundae. The festival ended with another packed house at the Busan Cinema Center who came to watch the closing ceremonies and the final film “Chronicle of My Mother”, a Japanese movie based on renowned Japanese writer Inoue Yasushi ’s autobiographical novel. In total, 196,177 movie tickets were sold to the 307 screenings, 45 of which were international premiers, while 86 were world premieres. Almost 9,000 accredited guests attended the festival, while 2,440 accredited press also covered the event. In comparison to last year, attendance... READ MORE -
31 weeks 1 day agoBUSAN, South Korea -- I came out of Bellflower (2011) with major respect for writer, producer, director, editor, and star Evan Glodell. I mean, what cojones. He understood that nobody in Hollywood was going to give him a break, so he made this debut independent feature film on a reported $17,000 budget. Glodell stars as Woodrow, an awkward mumbler who loves to build bad-ass Mad Max replica cars and flamethrowers with his best friend Aiden. Woodrow and Aiden spend their time preparing for the apocalypse, which means they sketch Road Warrior's Lord Humongous and play with fire in an empty lot. Things turn sour, as they usually do, when Woodrow falls in love with Milly, an impulsive... READ MORE -
31 weeks 2 days agoBUSAN, South Korea -- The retrospective on Kim Kee-duk isn't likely to turn too many heads at BIFF this year. In fact, the 77-year-old genre director turned film professor is not even the most famous South Korean director named Kim Ki-duk, as most people would think of the 51-year-old controversial art-house filmmaker who made Bad Guy (2001) and Samaria (2004). The older, and far lesser known, Kim Kee-duk did a lot for Korean cinema in its early stages. He was prolific in the 1960s, especially when he established a reputation as a reliable entertainer rather than an auteur director. He tried his hand in several genres, and it’s obvious from the selection of Kim’s... READ MORE -
31 weeks 2 days agoBUSAN, South Korea -- Sometimes, amid all of the wine and international intrigue, I forget that this lil’ fest we have in our town is about more than getting pathologically drunk on other people’s dime, and that FILMS are the focus. So last night I bit the bullet and actually went to a movie, an Iranian production called “Death is My Profession,” which is a cool name for a flick. Despite the rather repressive political and social environment, Iran consistently cranks out good movies, and this film, while no masterpiece, was still pretty cool. It’s about three out-of-work village dudes who try to steal valuable electrical cables from one... READ MORE -
31 weeks 2 days agoBUSAN, South Korea -- I'm very trusting when it comes to the always outstanding Song Kang-ho, one of Korea's very best actors. After all, the man has starred in several of my favorite Korean films, not the least of which is director Bong Joon-ho's crime-drama masterpiece, 'Memories of Murder'. Color me completely astonished, then, when I found myself walking out roughly fifty-minutes in to Song Kang-ho's latest, 'Hindsight'. Given the overwhelmingly negative box office response, I probably should have known better. This is a shallow, artificial, and offensively stupid film, with absolutely no redeeming qualities to it's name. ... READ MORE -
31 weeks 3 days agoBUSAN, South Korea -- Lynne Ramsay’s ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ could serve as the sinister yin to the celebratory yang of ‘The Tree of Life’. While the latter film is an ode to the miracle that is life itself, the former is a nightmarish look at the creation of something that could be seen as less than human. This is a devastating punch to the gut, a wildly unnerving slice of filmmaking that easily ranks among the very best that this year’s BIFF has to offer. Performances from Tilda Swinton and the young Ezra Miller are so effective they immediately proceed to work their way into your system, never giving you a moment to breath... READ MORE
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What to do at BIFF
Welcome to your one-stop guide for everything you need to know about the festival, what’s happening in Busan, where to go and what to see – we’ve got you covered!
Here are some helpful links for BIFF.
Transportation - A quick guide of getting you around the city.
Shopping - Looking for something to buy?
Stuff to do - Looking to hit a beach? A museum? A casino? We’ve got it all covered here.
Food - Hungry? Here are some suggestions to get your feed on.
Bars - Looking to unwind after a long day of movies? Here’s some recommended places to go.
Spas - If you’re really looking to unwind, Korean spas are the place to go.
Maps - Lost? This map will help you find your way around the city.
Events - Wondering what else is happening around the city? There’s plenty going on around town.
Help - Emergency numbers, just in case!
Hotels - When you need a place to rest your head for the night.
BIFF Official Site - The latest news about the festival, from the BIFF organization.
