Zhang Yimou makes surprise return as Busan film festival jury chair — fate of 13 films hangs in the balance

A master returns, offering a new milestone for Asian cinema

Zhang Yimou, a living legend of Chinese cinema, has been appointed to chair the competition jury, one of the Busan International Film Festival's central sections.

According to the festival secretariat on the 17th, he will lead deliberations over the 13 films officially invited to the competition section, which enters its second year, and bring his discerning eye to the proceedings.

He won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for his debut, Red Sorghum (1987), then twice claimed the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) and Not One Less (1999). He followed that with the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for To Live (1994), making him an undisputed Asian master who has conquered the world's three major film festivals.

The other jurors are equally distinguished. They include Chinese director Bi Gan, Kazakh actress Samal Yeslyamova, Japanese director Kei Ishikawa and Vietnamese producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc. Representing South Korea will be director Jung Juri and actress Choi Hee-seo, adding depth to the judging panel.

Organizers said the films selected for this year's competition boast a level of artistry well above that of previous years. The 31st Busan International Film Festival, which will survey the present and future of Asian cinema, opens Oct. 6 and will turn Busan into a vibrant sea of film for 10 days.