[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The 26th Busan International Film Festival, spotlighted as a testing ground for 'With Corona,' is revealing shortcomings in its final operations. After resuming for the first time in two years, there are reactions expressing regret over the festival’s lack of thorough preparation in various areas.
On the evening of the 11th at 8 PM, the film Last Night in Soho was screened at the Sohyang Theater in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Directed by Edgar Wright with cinematography by Jung Jung-hoon, the film, which had drawn attention, was interrupted just two minutes after starting due to a video cut, causing a delay of over 50 minutes. This was reported to have been caused by a conflict between the Digital Cinema Package (DCP) and the computer. The festival organizers refunded all tickets.
On the same day and at the same venue, Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch was delayed by about 10 minutes. The distributor required the audience to complete a COVID-19 electronic health questionnaire, but the festival did not notify attendees in advance, resulting in a crowd and delayed entry.
There were more projection issues. On the 9th, Souvenir: Part (directed by Joanna Hogg) was also delayed by about 20 minutes due to the screen not displaying at the Busan Cinema Center’s Sky Theater.
Repeated Delays... Was Preparation Adequate?
This year’s Busan International Film Festival was noted as the first large-scale cultural event held amid the fourth wave of COVID-19. Attention was focused on whether the festival could successfully conclude in the era of 'With Corona.'
Film industry professionals gathered in Busan after a long time. Actors and audiences visited the venue, watched films, and exchanged warm glances. Actors attending as guests expressed special feelings about the resumed film events, unanimously saying, "We missed this." Audiences enjoyed the films while adhering to social distancing seating.
It would have been ideal if this meaningful gathering had led to a smooth festival. Even at overseas film festivals, screenings can be disrupted by unexpected situations such as terror threats or natural disasters. However, in this year’s Busan Film Festival, these incidents could have been prevented with thorough prior testing and preparation, making the disappointments greater.
A Busan Film Festival official said, "Projection accidents happen every year," adding, "This year, with increased responsibilities including quarantine measures, accidents have become more frequent." However, dismissing these as 'annual occurrences' is complacent. The damage caused by projection accidents falls entirely on the audience. The excuse that "we couldn’t manage because of quarantine" is also groundless. Screening films is the fundamental purpose of a film festival.
Unilateral Cancellations and Notifications
Additionally, the press conference and audience talk (GV) for director Leos Carax’s Annette were abruptly canceled the day before. The festival notified this without any explanation, and when complaints poured in, they explained that "there was a disruption in the local French flight schedule." Also, the film Blue Lake had its online press conference canceled 15 minutes before it was scheduled, drawing criticism for poor communication.
There was also a COVID-19 case. On the 6th, a manager of an actor attending the opening ceremony tested positive on a PCR test conducted on the 11th. The manager left Busan on the 8th and was diagnosed after experiencing symptoms in Seoul. Health authorities launched an epidemiological investigation, and the festival said it cooperated with quarantine efforts upon notification. No additional cases have been reported so far.
Voices are growing louder, hoping that the Busan International Film Festival, which claims to be Asia’s largest film festival, will restore its pride through flawless operation.
This year’s Busan International Film Festival will conclude with the closing ceremony on the 15th.
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