Held in Bucheon from 4th to 14th this month
Red Carpet with Kim Jaejoong, NCT Jaehyun, Kwon Eunbi, and more
The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) will open its ceremony at 7 p.m. on the 4th at the Bucheon Art Center in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City, kicking off a ten-day schedule. The attendance of Hong Kong noir master director Du Ki-bong and Japanese horror film maestro Nakata Hideo, along with the festival’s first-ever establishment of an AI international competition section, are distinctive features this year.
Actors Jang Dong-yoon and Jung Soo-jung will host the opening ceremony, where Executive Chairman Shin Cheol and Organizing Chairman Jung Ji-young will declare the opening. The opening film is "Love Lies Bleeding." Actors Son Ye-jin, Park Joong-hoon, Kim Bo-sung, Kim Bo-yeon, Dokgo Young-jae, Im Ha-ryong, Jo Sung-ha, Choi Jae-sung, Han Sang-jin, Moon Jung-hee, and Kim Jung-nan will walk the red carpet, along with famous Japanese actor Yagira Yuya.
Singer Kwon Eun-bi will greet audiences with her acting debut in the Japanese film "Smartphone wo Otoshita Dake Nanda Kedo: Last Hacker." Also attending are Kim Jae-joong from "Gentleman: Whisper of the Evil Spirit," Park Joo-hyun, Jaehyun (NCT), and Kwak Si-yang from "You Will Die in 6 Hours," Kim Do-yeon and Jung Ha-dam from "Ameba Girls and School Ghost Stories: School Foundation Day," Lee Ho-won from "Heaven," Son Soo-hyun from "Let’s Do Horizontal Bar," Anupam from "Soulmate: Night of Salvation," Moon Jung-hee and Lee Hyun-woo from "Expedition Villa," Choi Daniel and Han Sang-jin from "Sunny Day," and Kim Jung-nan and Park Ji-hoon from "The World’s Truly Beautiful Audrey."
This year’s festival will screen 255 films from 49 countries (112 feature films, 99 short films, 15 AI films, and 29 XR films). There are 67 world premieres, 9 international premieres, 57 Asian premieres, and 66 Korean premieres. Screenings will be held at Bucheon City Hall, the Korea Manhwa Museum, CGV Sopung, Bucheon Art Bunker B39, and online via the Wave platform.
(From the top left clockwise) Son Ye-jin, Jung Soo-jung, Jang Dong-yoon, Kim Sung-soo, Doo Ki-bong, Yagira Yuya [Photo by BIFAN]
BIFAN maintains its identity as a genre film festival while expanding its scope to include AI (artificial intelligence). Beyond Reality (XR), B.I.G. industry programs, and the Ghost Story Campus have been integrated into the ‘BIFAN Plus’ project, and a new AI video section has been established.
For the first time in a domestic film festival, an AI international competition section called ‘Bucheon Choice: AI Film’ has been created. This section showcases carefully selected works that creatively use AI technology in video, screenplay, and sound domains, with 15 films nominated, including Dave Clark’s "Another." An AI video production conference will also be held, aiming to present new fusion ideas with related industries by introducing the impact of AI video technology on the film industry and various overseas cases.
The biggest highlight is the visit of two masters from Hong Kong and Japan. On the 5th, a masterclass will screen the restored version of director Du Ki-bong’s "Dragon Tiger Gate" (2004). On the same day, director Nakata will hold a GV (guest visit or audience talk). This year also features a special actor retrospective for Son Ye-jin titled ‘Unique Son Ye-jin,’ spotlighting her 23-year acting journey and her new beginnings. Six films, including "Classic" (2003), "A Moment to Remember" (2004), and "My Wife Got Married," will be screened.
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