The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), running October 1 – 10, celebrates its 20th edition in 2015.
For 18 years, European Film Promotion (EFP) has been supporting intense cultural exchanges between European filmmakers and Korean audiences as well as helping European films find their way onto Asia’s screens.
EFP’s programme, Opening Doors, is backed by the Creative Europe – Media Programme of the European Union and participating EFP member organisations.
Fifteen mostly young European film artists travel to Busan with the support of EFP to present a diversity of cinematographic narratives at Asia’s top film showcase. Their stories reflect the impact of ethnic wars, migration, identity and social media on Europe’s societies.
The majority of films have already raised attention at renowned festivals: Babai, the feature debut by Kosovo-born, Germany-based filmmaker Visar Morina won Best Director at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The film tells a father-and-son-story of unwanted economic migrants. Adriano Valerio’s debut film, Banat, has been selected for Venice’s Critics’ Week and will compete for the Flash Forward Audience Award at BIFF: Two lovers have to bridge the gap between Italy and Romania.
Pavle Vučković’s debut, Panama, which screened in Cannes, shows the influence of social media on a young man’s relationship. The Serbian first feature will be released in South Korea following BIFF. Swedish teen drama, Flocking, by Beata Gårdeler intertwines crime, mob mentality and internet revenge. Flocking was awarded the top prize in the Generation 14plus section of this year’s Berlinale.
Grozny Blues by Nicola Bellucci from Switzerland was introduced in Locarno and follows a few people around the war-torn Chechnyan capital of Grozny. Dalibor Matanic’s drama, The High Sun, screened in Cannes at Un Certain Regard, looks back at another cruel ethnic war in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Croatian actor Goran Marković will introduce the film to BIFF audiences.
The woodlands-based fantasy horror, The Hallow, is the feature debut of British visual artist and pop promo director Corin Hardy. The Irish film, Viva, by Paddy Breathnach is set in Cuba and focuses on eighteen year old Jesus, who struggles to find his true identity.
In tandem with Unifrance films, EFP is inviting a growing number of European sales companies to take part in an enlarged Umbrella Booth from October 3 – 6.
Photo courtesy: EFP
