Korean drama The Land Of Morning Calm and Myanmar characteristic MA – Cry Of Silence have gained the New Currents competitors on the 29th Busan Worldwide Movie Pageant (BIFF), which has confirmed it would shift to an earlier date in 2025.
The pageant additionally revealed Rima Das’s Indian characteristic Village Rockstars 2 and Tom Lin’s Taiwan drama Yen And Ai-Lee as joint winners of the Kim Jiseok Award.
Scroll down for full record of winners
The Land Of Morning Calm marks the second characteristic of Korean filmmaker Park Ri-woong, whose obtained popularity of his 2021 debut The Lady On A Bulldozer. His newest unravels the story of a younger fisherman’s disappearance and an outdated captain mysteriously concerned on this case. Gross sales of the movie are dealt with by Hive Filmworks.
The New Currents jury, led by dissident Iran filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, stated: “By way of exact, deliberate pacing, Park navigates themes of financial uncertainty, loss, xenophobia, and societal prejudice, making a narrative that by no means falters.”
MA – Cry Of Silence is the second characteristic of Myanmar filmmaker The Maw Naing, whose 2014 debut The Monk performed intensive festivals together with Karlovy Range. His newest centres on a teenage textile employee in Myanmar, who struggles to seek out her voice towards a backdrop of political unrest. It’s a Myanmar-Korea-Singapore-France-Norway-Qatar co-production and gross sales are dealt with by France’s Alpha Violet.
The jury praised the movie’s “brave portrayal of resistance to historic and ongoing political challenges below Myanmar’s political junta.”
The New Currents part contains first or second options from rising Asian filmmakers whereas the pageant’s aggressive Jiseok strand is open to extra established Asian administrators with at the very least three options to their names.
Kim Jiseok Award joint winner Village Rockstars 2 is a sequel to the 2017 coming-of-age drama that premiered at Toronto and went on to win finest characteristic at India’s Nationwide Movie Awards earlier than being submitted by the nation to the Oscars. Within the follow-up, Indian filmmaker Das continues the story of teenage lady Dhunu, who steps up as a guitarist in a band whereas maturing as the top of her household.
Additionally claiming the award was Yen And Ai-Lee, a black-and-white drama with components of black comedy during which a mom and daughter wrestle to heal their relationship after a troublesome previous. Taiwanese director Lin is understood for Winds Of September, Zinnia Flower and The Backyard Of Night Mists.
The male actor of the yr award went to Korea’s Yoo Lee ha of The Remaining Semester, a coming-of-age drama that picked up three prizes on the pageant’s Busan Imaginative and prescient Awards yesterday. The feminine actor of the yr award was given to Korea’s Park Seoyun of thriller drama Buzzing.
The Land Of Morning Calm additionally collected the KB New Currents Viewers Award whereas the Flash Ahead Viewers Award went to Costa Rica’s Reminiscences Of A Burning Physique by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, which beforehand gained the Panorama Viewers Award on the Berlinale in February.
The BIFF Mecenat Award for documentaries went to Korea’s Works And Days by Park Minsoo, Ahn Kearnhyung and One other Dwelling, a Taiwan-Hong Kong-France co-production directed by Frankie Sin.
The awards shall be offered on the closing ceremony of the pageant in South Korea this night.
Pageant organisers additionally confirmed that the 30th anniversary version of the pageant in 2025 will shift two weeks earlier as first revealed by Display screen and is about happen from September 17-26. The Asian Contents & Movie Market (ACFM), the trade platform that runs alongside the pageant, will happen from September 20-23.
To maneuver is to accommodate Chusoek, the Korean Thanksgiving vacation season, which can fall from October 5-7 subsequent yr. It’s going to see the occasions happen shortly after Venice (August 27 to September 6) and can narrowly keep away from Toronto (September 4-14), of which each are staples for the Asian trade forward of BIFF and ACFM.
Pageant and trade figures
In line with a report printed by BIFF as we speak, attendance reached 145,238 – up 2% on final yr’s 142,432 – throughout the 10-day pageant, with 84% of seats occupied throughout the screenings. The pageant featured 224 movies from 63 international locations in its official choice.
Regardless of a 50% discount in its nationwide authorities subsidy, this yr’s pageant expanded its choice and added a further venue to deal with the rise in screenings.
BIFF hosted 889 worldwide guests and a pair of,176 Korean visitors.
The 29th version ran from October 2-11, opening with Korean Netflix characteristic Rebellion, and can shut tonight with Eric Khoo’s Spirit World, starring Catherine Deneuve.
On the trade facet, the Asian Contents & Movie Market (ACFM) hosted 2,644 badge holders from 52 international locations and 1,031 corporations. This was up on 2023, which recorded 2,479 attendees (49 international locations) and 918 corporations.
Organisers additionally stated that the ACFM drew 26,435 attendees over the four-day market, greater than 37% up on final yr’s 19,269 attendees.
On the gross sales entrance, a complete of 275 corporations (up barely on 2023’s 271 corporations) attended from 30 international locations. Of those, 33 corporations made their ACFM debut and pavilions from Italy, the UK, Hong Kong and Thailand have been current.
The Asian Challenge Market (APM), which included 30 initiatives from 17 international locations, generated 706 conferences from 142 international locations and 156 individuals. APM award winners have been introduced on Tuesday.
Busan 2024 winners
New Currents Award
The Land Of Morning Calm, dir. Park Ri-woong (S Kor)
MA – Cry Of Silence, dir. The Maw Naing (Myan-S Kor-Sing-Fr-Nor)
KIM Jiseok Award
Village Rockstars 2, dir. Rima Das (India-Sing)
Yen And Ai-Lee, dir. Tom Lin Shu-Yu (Tai)
BIFF Mecenat Award
Works And Days, dir. Park Minsoo, Ahn Kearnhyung (S Kor)
One other Dwelling, dir. Frankie Sin (Tai-HK-Fr)
Sonje Award
Yurim, dir. Track Jiseo (S Kor)
A Backyard In Winter, dirs. Eléonore Mahmoudian, Matsui Hiroshi (Japan-Fr)
Actor of the Yr Male: Yoo Lee ha, dir. The Remaining Semester (S Kor)
Actor of the Yr Feminine: Park Seoyun, Buzzing (S Kor)
KB New Currents Viewers Award: The Land Of Morning Calm, dir. Park Ri-woong (S Kor)
Flash Ahead Viewers Award: Reminiscences Of A Burning Physique, Antonella Sudasassi Furniss (Costa Rica-Sp)
