Asia's Biggest Film Fest Celebrates Its First Decade
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With the selection of "Three Times" by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien and "Wedding Campaign" by Korea's Hwang Byeng-gug as its opening and closing films, the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) is gearing up for its most ambitious year so far.
Marking its 10th anniversary, the PIFF aims to look back on the last decade, during which it grew into the most prominent film festival in Asia, and look ahead to the next.
One program is a retrospective of Lee Man-hee-I that will screen the late director's 10 finest works including "Holiday - 1968", which has never gone on general release. Another noticeable program is "Re-mapping Asian Auteur Cinema" which intends to re-evaluate leading Asian directors who have not gained a global reputation but had a powerful influence at home.
"Reunion of New Currents" is a special program that will showcase the latest works of directors who have competed in "New Currents", the festival's only competitive section. Movie lovers will also look forward to "PIFF's Asian Pantheon", which will feature 30 timeless classics from 17 nations in Asia.
This year's festival will be the largest ever, with 307 movies from 73 countries to be screened at 31 theaters, almost double last year's 17 theaters. The Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP), a kind of cradle of the Asian film industry, will also include 27 new projects by renowned directors such as Korea's Kim Ki-duk and Lee Kwang-mo, Hong Kong's Fruit Chan and Taiwan's Chang Tso-chi.
Japanese director Seijun Suzuki and British director Peter Greenway are invited to leave their handprints in cement. Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami will preside over the jury for the "New Currents" section.
Tickets for the opening and closing movies can be reserved online only on Sept. 15 and 16. Ticket booking for general programs starts on Sept. 23 both online and at designated box offices.
For more information, visit the festival's website at http://www.piff.org
Marking its 10th anniversary, the PIFF aims to look back on the last decade, during which it grew into the most prominent film festival in Asia, and look ahead to the next.
One program is a retrospective of Lee Man-hee-I that will screen the late director's 10 finest works including "Holiday - 1968", which has never gone on general release. Another noticeable program is "Re-mapping Asian Auteur Cinema" which intends to re-evaluate leading Asian directors who have not gained a global reputation but had a powerful influence at home.
"Reunion of New Currents" is a special program that will showcase the latest works of directors who have competed in "New Currents", the festival's only competitive section. Movie lovers will also look forward to "PIFF's Asian Pantheon", which will feature 30 timeless classics from 17 nations in Asia.
This year's festival will be the largest ever, with 307 movies from 73 countries to be screened at 31 theaters, almost double last year's 17 theaters. The Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP), a kind of cradle of the Asian film industry, will also include 27 new projects by renowned directors such as Korea's Kim Ki-duk and Lee Kwang-mo, Hong Kong's Fruit Chan and Taiwan's Chang Tso-chi.
Japanese director Seijun Suzuki and British director Peter Greenway are invited to leave their handprints in cement. Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami will preside over the jury for the "New Currents" section.
Tickets for the opening and closing movies can be reserved online only on Sept. 15 and 16. Ticket booking for general programs starts on Sept. 23 both online and at designated box offices.
For more information, visit the festival's website at http://www.piff.org
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