The 26th Busan International Film Festival opened on October 6, 2021 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea with the South Korean film ' by Im Sang-soo. Park So-dam and Song Joong-ki hosted the opening of the festival, which was streamed live on YouTube.
In the 26th edition, 223 films from 70 countries were officially invited to the festival. 63 community service screenings were also part of the festival. In addition, this year BIFF opened two special programs, âÂÂNew Voices, Chinese Filmsâ dedicated to emerging, talented Chinese directors, and the best Asian films by female directors, âÂÂWonder Women MoviesâÂÂ, to highlight the contribution of female directors to the world of cinema. This edition of festival has constituted a new award 'Watcha Award' to be awarded to two selected films screened in the 'New Currents' section and the 'Korean Cinema Today-Vision' section. 22 short films official invited to the 'Wide Angle' competition section were screened online on YouTube and Naver.
'Vision Night' awards ceremony was held on October 14 in which winners of 'Korean Cinema Today - Vision Section' were announced. On October 15 in an online press conference the winners of 'New Currents' and other awards were announced and it was informed that 76,072 people visited the film festival in ten days. The festival closed on October 15 with closing ceremony hosted by Lee Joon-hyuk and Lee Joo-young and screening of film Anita by Longman Leung. South Korean film The Apartment with Two Women by Kim Se-in won five awards, including New Currents award.
Jury
New Currents (competition section)
Kim Jiseok Award
- Reza Mirkarimi, Iranian film writer and director (Jury Chairman)
- Gulnara Abikiyeva, Kazakhstani film critic and professor
- Kim Haery, member of the editorial board of the film magazine Cine21 and film critic
BIFF Mecenat Award
Sonje Award
- Bastian Mayraison, France, Asian film consultant at various film festivals around the world (Executive Chairman, Terres dâÂÂIci, Terres dâÂÂailleurs)
- Royston Tan, Singaporean filmmaker, director, screenwriter, producer and actor
- Danbi Yoon, South Korean filmmaker
Actor and Actress of the Year
FIPRESCI Award
- Nada Azhari Gillon, French film critic
- Wang Hsin, Taiwanese film critic
- Kim Nemo, Korean film critic
NETPAC Award
- Freddy Olsson, Swedish Senior Programmer, Göteborg Film Festival
- Mevlut Akkaya, Turkish/American director
- Yoo Sun-Hee, Korean Chairperson, Beautiful Hapcheon Independent Film Festival (BHIFF)
DGK MEGABOX Award
KBS Independent Film Award
- Kim Mu-ryeong, Korean producer
- Darcy Paquet, American film critic, translator
- Lee Jong-pil, Korea, director
CGK Award
- Kim Byeong-jeong, Korean cinematographer
- Back Yoon-seuk, Korean cinematographer
- Lee Seon-yeong, Korean cinematographer
Critic Award
- Gim Jiye-on, Korean film critic
- Park In-ho, Korean film critic
- Hong Eun-mi, Koream film critic
Program sections
Sources:
The festival has the following sections:
Opening and closing films
Gala Presentation
Source:
Icons
New Currents
This is the main competition section at BIFF, and showcases works by emerging Asian directors.
<span style="background:#eedd82">Highlighted title</span> indicates award winner
A Window on Asian Cinema
Seven films were selected to compete for the Kim Jiseok award:
Out of competition
These films were screened 'out of competition' as part of A Window on Asian Cinema:
Korean Cinema Today - Panorama Section
Sources:
Korean Cinema Today - Vision Section
In 2021 this was expanded to 12 selections and showcased as world premiere.
<span style="background:#eedd82">Highlighted title</span> indicates award winner
World Cinema
Source:
Flash Forward
From this edition, this section has the films that have already won awards or become a hot topic at other film festivals.
<span style="background:#eedd82">Highlighted title</span> indicates award winner
Wide Angle
Korean Short Film Competition
Asian Short Film Competition
Nominees for Mecenat Award
Documentary Competition
10 nominations, consisting of five Korean and five Asian feature-length documentaries, were announced.
Documentary Showcase
(Busan Cinephile Award nominees)
<span style="background:#eedd82">Highlighted title</span> indicates award winner
Out of competition
Open Cinema
On Screen
Special program in focus
Wonder Women Movies
10 best Asian films by female directors were selected on the basis of responses from 117 film professionals in a span of one year:
New Voices, Chinese Films
Awards and winners
Awards
The following awards will be presented at the 26th edition:
- The Asian Filmmaker of the Year
- Korean Cinema Award
- New Currents Award
- Kim Jiseok Award
- BIFF Mecenat Award
- Sonje Award
- Actor & Actress of the Year Award
- Actor of the Year
- Actress of the Year
- KB New Currents Audience Award
- Flash Forward Audience Award
- FIPRESCI Award
- NETPAC Award
- DGK MEGABOX Award
- CGV Arthouse Award
- KBS Independent Film Award
- CGK Award (Cinematographers Guild of Korea)
- Critic b Award
- Watcha Award from 2021
- Citizen Critics' Award
- Busan Cinephile Award
Winners
See also
References
External links