BIFF may launch cable channel to air entries

Crowds enjoy Busan International Film Festival held at the Busan Cinema Center held between October 6 and 14, 2011. [BIFF]

Busan International Film Festival [BIFF] may launch a cable channel aiming to introduce more quality film works to Korean cinema fans at home.

A PR rep from the festival told the magazine Tuesday that BIFF director Lee Yong-kwan has made a remark on launching the festival's own channel, tentatively titled “BIFF Channel,” during a meeting with local reporters.

“I feel sorry that such a qualified entries are screened only during the festival. I hope establishing a TV channel will serve as a platform for Korean moviegoers to meet diversified films [at home],” Lee reportedly said at the meeting.

Although they have been planning establishing the channel for a noticeable time, the idea has not been developed into a concrete plan yet, the official explained.

BIFF, Asia's largest annual film festival held in Korea's port city of Busan, is a non-competitive film festival screening around 300 films from 70 countries and invites about 200,000 audience members every year.

This years’ festival, running from October 4 to 13, will take place at the Busan Cinema Center and other theaters in Busan’s Haeundae area.

Further information regarding the main guest list and invited films in each major category, will be revealed at 10 a.m. KST on September 10.

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10 아시아 Reporter : Lee Hye Ji hjlee@
10 아시아 Editor : Monica Suk monicasuk@