Celebrated director Park Chan-wook’s star-studded murder comedy No Other Choice opened Asia’s biggest film festival Wednesday, which is launching its first fully-fledged competition lineup as South Korea projects its soft power worldwide.
The 30th edition of Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) arrives after the global success of critical works exploring Korean culture and experiences, such as Squid Game, Parasite, and this year’s megahit KPop Demon Hunters.
Stars and filmmakers–including K-pop megastar Lisa of Blackpink and director Park–walked the red carpet under dazzling lights for the opening ceremony, as excited Busan citizens cheered.
The festival, which has long focused on emerging talents in the region, is undergoing a revamp this year, launching its first major competition section featuring 14 titles–including four South Korean pictures.
Seasoned Chinese director Zhang Lu’s Gloaming In Luomu and Taiwan’s megastar Shu Qi’s directorial debut Girl are in also competition and will be judged by juries headed by South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin.
The latest edition “sought not only to further expand its long-standing role as a platform for discovering emerging Asian talent, but also to effectively showcase the works of acclaimed Asian masters”, festival director Jung Han-seok told AFP.
Program director Karen Park said the lineup was designed to honour Asian cinema in the way it wishes to be understood.
Auteur Park Chan-wook–best known for Old Boy, which catapulted him onto the global stage in 2004–returned to Busan with No Other Choice, fresh from acclaim at the Venice Film Festival.
Adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, the film follows a laid-off paper industry worker who turns to killing his job rivals. Park said he identified with the character’s desperation, though he knew little about papermaking.
The film stars Squid Game actor Lee Byung-hun and Crash Landing on You actress Son Ye-jin.
Its selection as BIFF’s opener marks a departure from last year’s choice, Netflix’s period war drama Uprising, which drew criticism for sidelining theatrical releases.
Park said the film also explores fears over AI and the job market. Lee, who hosted the opening ceremony, added that cinemas themselves face “even greater challenges” than filmmaking.
This year’s edition features 241 official entries from 64 countries, including 90 world premieres.
Among them is Hana Korea, a North Korean refugee drama with Pachinko star Kim Min-ha, and The People Upstairs, from South Korean actor-director Ha Jung-woo, which centres on the issue of noisy neighbours.
