 The Official Poster of 17th Busan International Film Festival is Finalized 1 year 4 weeks ago
BUSAN, 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... |
 Call for Submissions: Asian Cinema Fund 2012 is now open 1 year 12 weeks ago
SEOUL - 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... |
 Bellflower: What You Can Do with $17k 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, 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... |
 Retrospective: The Other Kim Kee Duk 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, 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 (... |
 Tharp Sees a Movie 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, 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... |
 Review: 'Hindsight,' Not Worth Looking Back At 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, 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... |
 Review: We Need to Talk about Kevin 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, 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... |
 Reviews: Behold the Lamb and Samurai Scabbard 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, South Korea -- The miscellaneous category in the BIFF ticket catalogue is certainly World Cinema, a grab bag in which one finds the works of legends like Lars von Trier listed next to young unknowns from the ends of the earth. For the viewer who likes to take chances, the kind of person who doesn't like to know the flavor filling in a piece of chocolate before taking a bite, this is the perfect opportunity to enter a theater with zero expectations.
I took such a chance on... |
 Tree of Life: A Masterpiece Not for Everyone 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, South Korea -- Terrence Malick's ‘The Tree of Life’ is a masterpiece, pure and simple. Strong opening words, I realize, but true nonetheless. Before we go any further with the praise, though, I feel it would be a gross misuse of my duties as a critic if I were to try and recommend ‘The Tree of Life’ to just anyone. ... |
 Kim Ki Duk's "Amen" in Need of a Prayer 1 year 31 weeks ago
BUSAN, South Korea -- In a recent conversation with fellow Haps film writer Thomas Bellmore, I explained that when choosing which movies to watch at BIFF, it’s important to consider one of two things: the director and the pre-festival buzz surrounding the movie. Let’s not forget, there are a whopping 307 films in this year’s lineup, and while the selection committee does receive a handful of submissions from world-renowned auteurs, by and large, the movies that get picked... |
