Busan International Film Festival Readies Strong, Business-Oriented Edition, Despite Budget & Management Woes
deadline.comThese are not easy times for film festivals, with many of the world’s largest buffeted by political and financial headwinds, and South Korea’s highly-regarded Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has not been immune to the current instability.
Following last summer’s management turmoil, during which many of the festival’s founders and top executives quit, BIFF put interim leaders in place and achieved a level of stability for its October 2023 edition.
Earlier this year, Park Kwang-su, a veteran filmmaker with long ties to the festival, was appointed as chairman. Ellen Y.D. Kim, also an industry veteran who has previously worked at BIFF and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, was appointed as head of BIFF’s industry platform, Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM).
But the recruitment process for a permanent festival director did not yield the desired results. With time running out for this year’s edition, former BIFF senior programmer Pak Dosin stepped in as co-deputy director, overseeing film selection and event planning, alongside Kang Seung-ah, who is responsible for corporate operations and budget management.
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