'Webtoon the Movie, Multiverse' to Be Held at Busan Cultural Contents Complex from October 3 to 6
Over 180 Domestic and International Webtoon Artists Participate, Webtoon-Film Convergence Offers New Enjoyment
The city of Busan, together with the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency and the Busan-Gyeongnam Cartoonists Association, will host the 8th Busan Global Webtoon Festival for four days from October 3 to 6 at the Busan Cultural Contents Complex and surrounding areas.
This event, which began in 2017 and marks its eighth edition this year, is the largest local festival where creators and citizens can enjoy together, aiming to promote Busan's webtoon capabilities and contribute to the development of the webtoon industry.
This year, under the theme "Webtoon the Movie, Multiverse," which imagines movies existing as webtoons in a parallel universe, more than 180 webtoon artists from Busan and around the world will participate, offering a new fusion of webtoons and cinema.
The festival will feature official events such as webtoon exhibitions and award ceremonies, as well as conferences, business-to-business (B2B) meetings, and a variety of stage and side events, creating an experience where webtoon artists, agencies, related companies, and citizens can all participate and enjoy together.
The webtoon exhibition will consist of 13 sections. Visitors can enjoy works that combine the main concept of movies, such as "Webtoon, the Movie Multiverse Exhibition," which parodies movie posters or scenes as webtoons, "Webtoons That Became Movies," and "Webtoons That Want to Become Movies."
Special exhibitions include a 30th anniversary exhibition of "Yeolhyeol Gangho," Korea's longest-running comic, an "International Artists Invitational Exhibition," and a showcase of works by webtoon students from Busan universities.
The conference program will feature a special lecture on webtoon adaptation by Lee Jongbeom, creator of "Dr. Frost," and a "Drawing Masterclass" by Stefano Casini, a master of Italian graphic novels.
Stage programs will include an "Animation Talk Show" with director Park Seonghu of "Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie," a "Storytelling Competition Screening" for webtoon media mix projects, as well as "International Artists Talk Show," "Bromance Show," and "Webtoon Counseling Center."
Visitors can directly experience webtoons through activities like caricature and drawing exchange events, and the "Beat the Artist" battle drawing event. Live drawing shows by webtoon artists will also be held throughout the Busan Cultural Contents Complex.
Additionally, from October 2 to 4, a three-day business meeting will bring together 16 domestic and international webtoon companies with local webtoon artists, providing debut opportunities for aspiring creators and new business opportunities for established artists.
Private consultations for pre-registered companies and artists will be held, and on-site registration will also be available, creating opportunities for networking in a relaxed atmosphere.
The opening ceremony of this year's festival will take place at 5 p.m. on October 3 at Sohyang Theater in Haeundae, alongside the 7th Golden Bridge Webtoon Awards. A celebratory performance by Lee Yongshin, a renowned voice actor and singer in the animation and gaming fields, is also scheduled, promising new enjoyment for the audience.
Especially this year, the festival will be part of "Festival Siwol," Busan's first-ever convergence exhibition-convention event, and will be held in close proximity and at the same time as the Busan International Film Festival, offering a familiar theme and a variety of experiences to an even larger audience.
The event is open to everyone free of charge, and exhibitions can be viewed from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from October 3 to 6.
For detailed schedules, please refer to the official website.
Shim Jaemin, Director of Busan's Culture and Sports Bureau, said, "The Busan Global Webtoon Festival is a carefully prepared event where webtoon artists and stakeholders from Busan directly participate, allowing citizens, industry professionals, and academics to enjoy and experience webtoons together. As webtoons are rapidly growing as a new driving force in the content industry, we will continue our efforts to help them further develop and thrive in the cultural city of Busan."
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