Busan Film Festival Unveils Early Selections for New Jiseok Competition

variety.com:

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Busan International Film Festival will further honor its co-founder and former programmer Kim Jiseok, who died suddenly in 2017, by expanding the existing prize in his name into a fully-fledged competitive section.

Previously, the Kim Jiseok Award was given to one of ten films selected from the ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ sidebar which introduces new films from significant Asian directors, defined as those who have each made more than three films.  “Starting this year, the Kim Jiseok Award nominees have been sorted into a section of their own, namely the ‘Jiseok’ section.

Also, Korean films will be included in the ‘Jiseok’ section,” Busan organizers said. “This program section aims to both reinforce the spirit and determination of [Kim], who devoted himself to the growth and support of Asian films, and direct attention to the nominated works.” The section comes with two cash prizes of $10,000 each. “Thus, the Jiseok section is expected to be recognized as a competition section that represents the Busan International Film Festival along with the New Currents section,” the festival said on a statement.

While the festival’s full line-up will not be announced until next week, organizers revealed the first eight films selected for the Jiseok section.