[Busan International Film Festival] Grand opening draws Michelle Yeoh, Hyun Bin and other stars as 93 world premieres are unveiled

South Korea's premier film event and Asia's largest film festival, the '31st Busan International Film Festival' (BIFF), opened in grand style on Oct. 6. The festival launched a 10-day cinematic journey featuring 316 films, including 93 'world premieres' being shown for the first time anywhere in the world.

Global film heavyweights gather for a glittering red carpet in Haeundae

The opening ceremony took place in grand fashion that afternoon at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan. A host of leading filmmakers and actors from South Korea and abroad drew attention on the red carpet before the main event. Actors including 'Kim Hye-ja', 'Hyun Bin', 'Jung Woo-sung' and 'Son Suk-ku' were joined by China's 'Fan Bingbing' and Japan's 'Shunsuke Michieda'. Veteran South Korean directors Bae Chang-ho, Lee Jang-ho and Chung Ji-young, along with producer Kim Tae-ho, also attended.

Director Na Hong-jin appeared with Hwang Jung-min and Jo In-sung from the film 'Hope', while director Lee Chang-dong of 'Possible Love' also greeted the audience alongside Jeon Do-yeon and Sol Kyung-gu. Other prominent international guests included director 'Alfonso Cuarón', a two-time Academy Award winner for directing; leading French actor 'Charlotte Gainsbourg'; and acclaimed Japanese director 'Hirokazu Kore-eda'.

Michelle Yeoh receives coveted Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award

The highlight of the opening ceremony, the 'Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award', went to internationally renowned actor 'Michelle Yeoh' (Yang Zi-choong). “Looking back on my film career, this journey was never one I walked alone,” she said. “Seeing familiar faces in the audience reminds me of the stories we have shared, while seeing new faces makes me look forward to the stories we have yet to discover.”

The 'Korean Cinema Award', given to a figure who has contributed to the global growth of Korean cinema, went to 'Kim Dong-ho', the former executive director who played a leading role in founding BIFF. The 'Camellia Award', presented to a filmmaker who has advanced the status of women in the film industry, went to director 'Ann Hui', a pioneer of the Hong Kong New Wave. The festival officially got underway with the screening of director Kim Jong-kwan's opening film, 'In This Corner of the World'.

Festival showcases 316 films from 59 countries and takes the pulse of global cinema

The festival, which runs through Oct. 15, will screen 316 films, including 247 invited titles, across 31 screens at eight theaters throughout Busan. The second edition of the 'Competition' section features 13 films by notable directors including Iran's Majid Majidi and Japan's Nanako Hirose. The winner of the 'Busan Award', whose jury is chaired by Chinese master director 'Zhang Yimou', will qualify as South Korea's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The 'Icon' section, which offers a look at new films by world-renowned masters, will present 35 titles, including 'The Fiords' by Cristian Mungiu, winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Festival brings filmmakers and audiences together through wide-ranging discussions near BEXCO

The festival is also holding in-depth retrospectives honoring the achievements of the late Ahn Sung-ki, who died earlier this year, with 'A Beautiful Time: Ahn Sung-ki', and of Michelle Yeoh with 'Michelle Yeoh: All Time, All Places'. This year's festival is placing as much emphasis on dialogue between filmmakers and audiences as on screenings. Director Kim Jee-woon and Fan Bingbing will take part in the 'Carte Blanche' section, while Kim Go-eun, Ryu Seung-ryong and Ju Ji-hoon will engage in candid conversations at 'Actors House'. Other events spanning the industry and the public, including 'Community BIFF', 'Forum BIFF' and the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), are scheduled to continue throughout the festival.