South Korean actress Jang Seo Hee poses on the red carpet during the Pusan
International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea, Oct. 8, 2009. The 14th Pusan
International Film Festival (PIFF), which South Korea praises as its largest
international film event, opened Thursday, inviting top-rank moviemakers and
celebrities around the world.
BUSAN, Oct. 8 -- The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), which South Korea
praises as its largest international film event, opened Thursday, inviting
top-rank moviemakers and celebrities around the world.
Welcoming the press guests with its opening film, South Korean-produced "Good
Morning, President," the festival began its nine-day run.
Later in the evening, a grand opening ceremony was held at an open theater here
in the peninsula's southern port city, attended by world-famous celebrities,
including Josh Hartnett, and Han-ryu, or the Korean wave, stars like Jang
Dong-gun and Lee Byung-hun.
Famous Chinese celebrities, such as Fruit Chen and Terri Kwan, also appeared in
the ceremony's photo zone, receiving a warm welcome from thousands of South
Korean movie lovers.
Jia Zhangke, Cui Jian, and Li Bingbing are also scheduled to visit Busan during
the festival, with the Li-starred movie to be presented as the closing film.
This year's PIFF, marking its 14th event, is screening a total of 355 films from
70 countries, breaking its last record it set last year, 315 movies from 60
nations.
Among the participant films, 98 chose to world-premier, or showcase for the
first time in the world, at the PIFF, which is also a record-high number.
For screening, the PIFF organization has prepared a total of 269,332 seats at 36
screens, or 6 major theaters.
The festival runs multiple awards, including the New Current Award, for which
Oscar-nominee Jean-Jacques Beineix serves as the jury head, and the Sonje Award
for short films, and the newly-launched Flash Forward Award targeted for
emerging directors from non-Asian regions.
In addition to the prize-competing events, the fest offers diverse programs,
such as conferences, forums, academies, concerts, and photo exhibitions.
In particular, on sidelines of the PIFF, the Asian Film Market 2009 is held from
Oct. 11 to 14, in which 72 companies participated as sales office exhibitors and
potential buyers from 17 countries registered.
The Pusan Promotion Plan, which the PIFF organization claims as the largest
project market in Asia, is part of the film market, providing a pre-market venue
where promising filmmakers and producers meet with potential co-producers and
financiers.
The PIFF also prepares for a 900 million-won, or around 720,000-U.S. dollars,
funding program, or the so-called Asian Cinema Fund.
"The fund aims at helping activate more independent film productions and to
provide a stable production environment, while playing a role as a cornerstone
of a pan-Asian network for Asian filmmakers," the organization said.
Named after the city name Busan in the old Romanization system, the PIFF was
launched in 1996 and has seen expansion in both size and participant number by
breaking pre-set records every year.
The PIFF has now grown into one of most influential film fests in Asia, focused
on discovering new films and first-time directors from across the region, South
Korea's Yonhap News Agency evaluated.
Amid the fear of the fast-spreading A/H1N1 virus, the fest is expected to be
visited by more than 200,000 people.
Chinese actor Guo Tao (3rd R) walks on the red carpet during the Pusan
International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea, Oct. 8, 2009. The 14th Pusan
International Film Festival (PIFF), which South Korea praises as its largest
international film event, opened Thursday, inviting top-rank moviemakers and
celebrities around the world.
South Korean actress Ha Ji Won poses on the red carpet during the Pusan
International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea, Oct. 8, 2009. The 14th Pusan
International Film Festival (PIFF), which South Korea praises as its largest
international film event, opened Thursday, inviting top-rank moviemakers and
celebrities around the world.
South Korean actress Soo Ae and actor Kim Nam-gil pose on the red carpet
during the Pusan International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea, Oct. 8,
2009. The 14th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), which South Korea
praises as its largest international film event, opened Thursday, inviting
top-rank moviemakers and celebrities around the world.
Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu poses on the red carpet during the Pusan
International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea, Oct. 8, 2009. The 14th Pusan
International Film Festival (PIFF), which South Korea praises as its largest
international film event, opened Thursday, inviting top-rank moviemakers and
celebrities around the world.
South Korea's actor Jang Dong-gun poses on the red carpet during the Pusan
International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea, Oct. 8, 2009. The 14th Pusan
International Film Festival (PIFF), which South Korea praises as its largest
international film event, opened Thursday, inviting top-rank moviemakers and
celebrities around the world.
(Xinhua)
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