Netflix War Epic to Open Asia’s Largest Film Festival

AFP/APP

Seoul: A Netflix period war drama, produced by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, will open Asia’s largest film festival on Wednesday.

This marks the first time a streaming title has kicked off the event. Directed by Kim Sang-man and featuring Korean megastar Gang Dong-won, “Uprising” is one of 224 official entries at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which runs until October 11.

The film has garnered significant attention ahead of its world premiere, largely due to the involvement of Park, known for his ultra-violent thrillers such as 2003’s “Old Boy”, which helped propel South Korean cinema to global prominence. Park served as screenwriter and producer on “Uprising”, a story set during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, about two friends who grow up together but become enemies during a war.

Park Do-shin, the festival’s acting director, expressed confidence in the film, stating, “I believed it was a work that could appeal to the public (the most) among all the (BIFF) opening films in history.”

Streaming content like Netflix’s “Squid Game” and Apple TV+’s “Pachinko” has played a key role in boosting the global visibility of Korean stories. BIFF’s 2024 lineup reflects this trend, with content from streaming platforms becoming “an important part of our culture,” said BIFF programmer Jung Han-seok.

On the morning of the festival’s opening, visitors were already queuing at the venues, and the red carpet was set for the star-studded event. However, the decision to open with a streaming title has sparked criticism within South Korea’s cinema community, as BIFF traditionally supports emerging talents in Asia and small-scale, independent films.

“I find it disappointing that a streaming title was selected as the opening film,” Kay Heeyoung Kim, who owns film studio K-Dragon, told AFP.

 “The challenges confronting the theatre-based physical film market and filmmakers can be partly attributed to the streaming platforms.”

This year’s edition also follows controversies related to the resignation of former festival director Huh Moon-yung, who stepped down amid accusations of sexual misconduct. Additionally, the South Korean government has halved the budget for supporting film festivals, including BIFF. Despite these challenges, the 29th edition of the festival is showcasing 15 more films than last year, including 86 world premieres.

BIFF will posthumously honor South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, screening six of his works, including “Parasite”, “Our Sunhi” (2013), and a portion of the TV series “My Mister” (2018). Lee, best known for his role in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite”, died in an apparent suicide last year after a two-month investigation into suspected drug use.

Meanwhile, Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, renowned for his contributions to the horror genre, will receive the festival’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.

He joins the ranks of previous winners such as Hong Kong legends Tony Leung and Chow Yun Fat. Kurosawa is presenting two new films at BIFF this year: the violent thriller “Cloud” and “Serpent’s Path”, a French-language remake of his 1998 film of the same name.

Other notable world premieres include “RM: Right People, Wrong Place”, a documentary about BTS member RM and the making of his second solo album.

Chung Yu Chieh, a 39-year-old visitor from Taiwan, expressed her excitement about South Korean director Hur Jin-ho’s latest film, A Normal Family – a psychological thriller about two upper-class couples seemingly leading perfect lives.

BIFF’s industry platform, the Asian Contents and Film Market, will also host a conference on the integration of AI in content production, a hot topic in Hollywood. Companies such as South Korea’s CJ ENM, Chinese VOD service iQIYI, and Microsoft will participate