34 Works from 11 Cities Including UNESCO City of Film and Busan Independent Film Association Exchange Cities
Online Film Festival Ticket Reservations Start at Noon on the 30th via Busan Cinema Center and Musai Theater Websites
The 8th Busan Intercity Film Festival will be held for three days from the 30th to September 1st at the Cinematheque and Musai Theater at the Busan Cinema Center.
The Busan Intercity Film Festival, under the slogan "Film People City," serves as a platform to introduce local films from UNESCO-designated Creative Cities of Film, including Busan and other domestic and international cities in exchange with the association.
The festival is sponsored by the city and organized and hosted by the Busan Independent Film Association.
This year, a total of 34 works produced in 11 cities will be presented to audiences. These cities include Busan (a UNESCO Creative City of Film), Galway (Ireland), Gdynia (Poland), Valladolid (Spain), Bitola (North Macedonia), Santos (Brazil), Yamagata (Japan), Lodz (Poland), Mumbai (India, newly joining through the Busan Independent Film Association’s open call), Adiyaman (Turkey, participating through the "Residency in Busan" project), and Fukuoka (Japan, an exchange city of the Busan Independent Film Association).
To support new works by talented creators, the festival is promoting the "Residency in Valladolid" and "Residency in Busan" projects as part of the "Busan Intercity Residency Film Production Project." Five new short films produced through this project will have their world premiere at the festival's "Residency Film Showcase."
"Residency in Valladolid" is a project that sends a creator from Busan overseas to produce a short fiction film. This year, director Kim Mingun was selected as Busan's creator and is currently in post-production for "Gavi," which was made in collaboration with local actors and staff.
Director Kim received the Special Jury Award at the 18th Busan Independent Film Festival for his short film "Mother Landscape House" (2016), and his film "I Saw" (2018) was selected as a Cinebobe at the 20th Busan Independent Film Festival. He also directed his feature debut "Street of Cinema" (2021).
The new film "Gavi" is highly anticipated, as the unfamiliar city’s scenery is delicately captured through his lens, reflecting the emotions of the characters.
Additionally, "Residency in Busan" is an ongoing project where directors from Busan and abroad create new non-fiction short films set in Busan, fostering creative exchange.
The four creators participating in this project are: Oh Seungjin, who has focused on character and location-based work in Busan; Kim Jonghan, who has built his own world between fiction and experimental films; Ebru Avci (Turkey), a woman and Kurd who delicately reflects political and social sensibilities in her work; and Zajmena Maria Zaremba (Poland), who transitioned from music and photography to film and continues to challenge her interests. Their portrayals of Busan are expected to offer new discoveries.
This year’s festival will also screen previous works by the four creators selected for "Residency in Busan" and feature a special event, the "Drawing City" forum, which will spotlight these artists.
The forum will bring together participants with diverse backgrounds from cities such as Busan, Lodz (Poland), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Adiyaman (Turkey), who will discuss their respective production environments. This event promises to be engaging for both independent film professionals and audiences alike.
In the "Busan" section, three noteworthy films from the 25th Busan Independent Film Festival will be introduced: "What Role Would You Like to Play, Actor?" (Park Chunhyun), the opening film and a Project Indie Busan selection; "It's Gimbap!" (Lee Kanguk); and "Flesh Eats Flesh" (Jeon Soyoung), which won the Grand Prize and Audience Jury Award at the same festival. All three films will be followed by audience Q&A sessions.
The video letter project "A Day in Your City" will also be unveiled this year on social media and throughout the festival area. This project, which shares the daily lives and greetings of participants in the Busan Intercity Film Festival and Residency Film Production Project, consists of up to five snapshots or video clips and a self-interview from each participant.
Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to share ordinary moments and stay connected despite limited direct exchanges, this project has now become a time to share the small yet precious moments of participants’ daily lives and to confirm the friendship among the friends of the Busan Intercity Film Festival.
Online ticket reservations for the festival will be available from noon on the 30th via the websites of the Busan Cinema Center and Musai Theater. Detailed programs, schedules, and further information can be found on the Busan Independent Film Association website and official social media channels.
Shim Jaemin, Director of the Busan City Culture and Sports Bureau, stated, "This year is especially meaningful as Busan has been selected as the Chair City of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the film sector. I hope you will enjoy not only the works from the 'Residency Project' but also a variety of films from UNESCO Creative Cities of Film at the 8th Busan Intercity Film Festival. We will continue our efforts so that diverse films can discover new value through Busan."
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