A poster for the Busan International Film Festival is shown in this image provided by the event’s organizers. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) BUSAN, Oct. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The 29th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) kicks off on Wednesday, featuring the historical drama “Uprising” as its opening film, the festival’s first-ever over-the-top (OTT) production to hold this honor.
The organizer has said the selection reflects the festival’s efforts to capture the significant shifts in the global film industry, driven by the rise of streaming platforms and expanded distribution channels. This year’s edition features nine major titles from global streaming platforms, including the world premiere of Yeon Sang-ho’s “Hellbound” Season 2 and Apple TV+’s documentary “The Last of the Sea Women” about haenyeo, or Korea’s female divers. The Netflix Korean original film “Uprising,” set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), follows the story of two men who grew up together — one as a master (Park Jeong-min) and the other as a servant (Gang Dong-won) — and reunite as enemies after a war.
“Decision to Leave” director Park Chan-wook contributed to the film as both a producer and scriptwriter. The festival organizers highlighted its unexpected humor, intense confrontations as well as captivating narrative as key reasons for its selection. BIFF this year will screen 224 films from 63 countries, reflecting an approximately eight percent increase from last yea.