Busan Film Festival Enjoys Warm Opening After Two-Year Hiatus, Industry Turmoil
variety.comBusan International Film Festival. It has been a struggle for Asian film festivals and rights markets to return to normal as conservative governments and reticent populations warily and belatedly embraced reduced quarantine periods, the end of mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing.
But Wednesday night’s hosts were at pains to stress that this year’s 27th BIFF is operating at full capacity. “I can’t tell you how emotional I am tonight,” said Lee Yong-kwan co-founder of the festival and now its chairman.
The Busan festival is Asia’s biggest and most significant talent and film discovery event. But in 2020 it was downsized and held virtually.
Last year’s event operated largely behind a cordon sanitaire and without many foreign participants. As the sun went down Wednesday, the floodlights came up and the spectacularly eccentric Busan Cinema Center lit up its fluorescent, mesh-like roof in a way that has not happened since October 2019.
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