Taiwanese film opens 25th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival

 

Festival director Shin Chul, second from right, speaks during an opening ceremony of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in Bucheon City Hall in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of BIFAN
Festival director Shin Chul, second from right, speaks during an opening ceremony of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in Bucheon City Hall in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of BIFAN

By Kwak Yeon-soo

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Asia's largest genre film festival, kicked off its 11-day run Thursday and will run through July 18 in the form of a "hybrid" edition.

With the pandemic raging across the country, the film festival, which is devoted to horror, thriller, mystery, fantasy and sci-fi flicks, has decided to go both on and offline as a way to maintain its presence for both filmmakers and audiences.

Under the slogan, "Stay Strange," 174 films from 42 countries will be screened during the festival at five local theaters. For those unable to attend, 154 films are also available on the local streaming platform Wavve.

The opening ceremony was held Thursday at Bucheon City Hall, with less than 100 guests in attendance, mostly filmmakers, actors and 사설토토사이트 industry officials. Organizers didn't roll out the red carpet due to the new coronavirus surge.

Directors Kim Tae-yong and Min Kyu-dong, the pair who directed "Memento Mori," and the second installment of the "Whispering Corridors" horror movie franchise, produced the opening ceremony to pay tribute to late film producer Lee Chun-yun, who unexpectedly passed away in May.

"Today's opening ceremony is much more meaningful because it has a Whispering Corridors theme in honor of the late film producer Lee Chun-yun," said Bucheon Mayor Jang Deog-cheon, who serves as the chairman of BIFAN's organizing committee.

Festival director Shin Chul, second from right, speaks during an opening ceremony of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in Bucheon City Hall in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of BIFAN
A scene from "Till We Meet Again," the opening film of the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival / Courtesy of BIFAN

Actress Kim Gyu-ri, who hosted the opening ceremony, as well as other actors, Lee Sul, Kim So-hye and Lee Woo-jin, performed on stage.

Through artificial intelligence (AI) technology, a hologram of Lee appeared on stage. "Making and watching movies has always made me happy. We're all going through hard times in life. Endure these challenging times, keep working hard and making great films," the honorary judge said in a video.

"For the past 24 years, BIFAN has made constant efforts to transverse the boundaries of artistic expression and traditional media. I am forever proud and grateful for this bold attempt. Due to over-the-top (OTT) platforms, every part of the filmmaking process ― from film production to distribution ― is changing. We're on the verge of entering the next chapter of Korean cinema," festival director Shin Chul said

Taiwanese director Giddens Go's "Till We Meet Again," which is a film about a young man who, after being struck dead by lighting, loses his memory, and then works as a god of love, matchmaking men and women on Earth, opened the 25th edition.

Some other programs, such as the "Scary Tales Campus," which provides focused mentoring sessions, as well as special exhibitions of the work of artists Kimm Kijo, Bae Yoonhwan and Erick Oh will also take place during the 11-day period.

Audience members will also have the chance to experience more than 80 extended reality (XR) works at Incheon International Airport. At Bucheon Art Bunker B39, which has been reborn as a cultural venue, there will be live performances, special screenings and interactive events. The film screenings will be held according to social distancing guidelines.

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