[Photo &] 30th Bucheon Film Festival Screens Record 321 Films, Jet Li Named Opener

A massive comeback for 'Asia's largest genre film festival' — bold lineup for the 30th BIFAN

'Asia's largest genre film festival' has returned in grand form, proving its clout. The 'Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival' ('BIFAN') is back with the best-ever lineup. Opening this festival alongside a declaration from 'Jang Mi-hee', the festival has selected 321 works from 50 countries worldwide. In particular, the 93 'World Premieres' are a key draw that has drawn attention from across the global film industry. In the gala section 'Signature', newly created to mark the 30th anniversary, new works from world-renowned masters such as 'Kiyoshi Kurosawa' are unveiled in Asia for the first time, and the special presentation 'Korean Genre Film 33' offers an overwhelming cinematic experience that cuts across the past and the present.

The front line of new media where 'AI' and 'short-form' converge, as the cinema ecosystem evolves

The festival is evolving beyond a mere film event into a 'new-media platform'. This year, 'BIFAN' directly takes on the seismic shift in the video industry. The most notable point is the bold addition of the 'AI Film' category. Through 'Bucheon Choice: AI Film' and 'AI Frontier', it will present a total of 38 AI-integrated works, laying out a blueprint for future cinema. In addition, the 'Short-form Cinema' program featuring a new work by director 'Lee Joon-ik', and 'Beyond Reality', an XR immersive exhibition that spans the whole city, are an innovative bid to expand viewers' senses.

Legend returns — an overpowering opening-ceremony stage shaped by 'Jet Li' and 'Song Seung-hwan'

The opening film that kicks off this year's festival is the martial-arts epic 'Pyo In: Punggi Daemak', starring the legendary action master 'Jet Li'. Held at the Bucheon Art Center, the opening ceremony once again saw 'Song Seung-hwan' take the helm as general director, following last year's lead. By perfectly bringing to the stage the philosophical theme 'Coexistence of Humanoids and Humans', the ceremony is expected to produce a single large-scale work of art that goes beyond a simple event. The synergy created by the return of a master and the overwhelming directorial power is set to heighten fans' expectations around the world.

"NEW ERA NEW SKIN" — a provocative future vision declared by commissioner 'Shin Chul'

"'NEW ERA NEW SKIN'" ('NEW ERA NEW SKIN')." The slogan for this year, announced by 'Shin Chul', the executive commissioner, captures both the provocative identity of 'BIFAN' and its forward-looking vision for the future. It is a strong statement of resolve that, while holding firmly to the heritage of the past 30 years, it will not hesitate to pursue external innovation in step with a rapidly changing era. The bold voyage to set a new standard for global genre filmmaking has finally begun, reaching beyond Asia.