"Quick Quick Kimchi"... 'Ddageo' Ju Yunbal, The Big Brother of Busan's Film Industry

Following Tony Leung Last Year, Chow Yun-fat Wins 'Asian Filmmaker Award'
John Cho, Fan Bingbing and Others Attend 28th Busan Film Festival Opening Ceremony

'Ddaggeo' Chow Yun-fat (Jou Yun-pa, 68) heated up the night in Busan. This year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) faced an unprecedented situation. After internal conflicts, the opening ceremony was held, raising the 28th sail. Amidst a large gathering of domestic filmmakers, overseas stars such as John Cho and Fan Bingbing drew cheers from an audience of about 3,000.

On the afternoon of the 4th, at the opening ceremony of the 28th Busan International Film Festival held at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan, Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat attended as the recipient of the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award. Actress Park Eun-bin hosted the event, which was also broadcast live online. Actor Song Kang-ho, who served as this year’s host, welcomed Chow Yun-fat with a hug. The two film figures exchanged greetings with bright smiles. Their meeting provided a special spectacle.

Chow Yun-fat attending the opening ceremony of the 28th Busan International Film Festival
Photo by Yonhap News

Song Kang-ho introduced Chow Yun-fat as "someone who remains an idol in the hearts of filmmakers of my generation and countless movie fans of that era." He added, "Not a superhero, but a true hero," calling him "the big brother of the film industry."

Chow Yun-fat debuted in 1973 and led the golden age of Hong Kong cinema through films such as A Better Tomorrow (1986) and The Killer (1989). He later gained popularity by appearing in numerous films including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). He visited Korea for the first time in 14 years since promoting Dragonball Evolution in 2009.

At the opening ceremony, Chow Yun-fat said, "This year marks 50 years of my acting career," and expressed gratitude to Korean movie fans who have loved him for a long time. He also greeted the audience in Korean, saying "I’m happy" and "I love you." Holding up the trophy, he enjoyed the moment by taking a selfie with his son in the audience. He then made the crowd laugh by saying, "Hurry, hurry, no time, kimchi."

Chow Yun-fat attended the opening ceremony with his wife, Jasmine Tan (Jin Hoe-gyeon). He also expressed thanks to his wife, saying, "I am grateful to my wife who allows me to focus solely on acting without worries."

Starting with the opening ceremony, Chow Yun-fat will participate in events such as a press conference, open talk, and handprinting on the 5th. In addition, A Better Tomorrow and One More Chance, which will be released in November, will be screened during the festival.

Following Tony Leung (Liang Chaowei) last year, Chow Yun-fat’s visit to the Busan International Film Festival this year attracted attention. The festival shone even brighter with the presence of these two legendary stars as special guests.

Along with him, Hollywood star John Cho, known for his role in Searching (2018), will also have a special encounter. On the 5th, he will be the first to participate in Actors House at the Busan KNN Theater, where he will listen to stories from actors.

(From left) Chow Yun-fat, Jasmine Tan, Song Kang-ho [Photo by Yonhap News]

This year’s Busan International Film Festival experienced internal turmoil as the executive chairman resigned a few months before the event due to disagreements over personnel and sexual harassment allegations. However, the executive team is determined to do their best. Programmer Nam Dong-cheol said at the press conference for the opening film held the day before, "There were difficulties with the festival, but we prepared well." He added, "Although there are shortcomings, I hope that if we do our best, many positive things will happen."

This year, 269 films from 69 countries will be screened at the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, Lotte Cinema Centum City, and Lotte Cinema Daeyoung. The number of screenings decreased by about 100 compared to last year’s 354 films from 71 countries. The budget was also reduced by about 2.1 billion won, but the festival made a strong comeback by inviting many acclaimed films from Cannes and Berlin film festivals. Films such as the Cannes Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness (director Ruben ?stlund), the Berlin Golden Bear winner People Meet in Paris, Adamant, My Old Oak (director Ken Loach), and Monster (director Hirokazu Kore-eda) will be screened.

Many actors, including Song Kang-ho, walked the red carpet. Attendees included actors Lee Sung-min, Song Joong-ki, Cha Seung-won, Jo Jin-woong, Yoo Yeon-seok, as well as directors Jung Ji-young, Kang Je-gyu, and Kim Jee-woon. The 28th Busan International Film Festival will be held around the Busan Cinema Center until the 13th.