Bucheon's annual film fest kicks off with focus on AI
By Park UngPosted : July 4, 2024, 21:04Updated : July 19, 2024, 17:17
Actor Jang Dong-yoon (left) and actress Jung Soo-jung, also known as Krystal, pose for a photo at the red carpet event of the annual Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in Gyeonggi Province on July 4, 2024. They hosted the opening ceremony of the festival. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
SEOUL, July 4 (AJU PRESS) - The annual Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) kicked off its 11-day run with a star-studded red carpet event at a venue, west of Seoul on Thursday.
The Asia's largest genre film festival, featuring primarily horror, thriller and sci-fi movies, will showcase about 255 short and feature films from 49 countries this year.
With a focus on the rising trend of artificial intelligence, the festival, in its 28th year, explores the impact of AI on film-making. "We visualized the fundamental concept of AI in an analogue way, as it clearly reveals our future direction," said BIFAN organizers, explaining the festival's poster.
Courtesy of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN)
A three-day forum bringing together movie producers and industry experts on the sidelines of the festival is scheduled from Friday to discuss challenges and opportunities presented by the emergence of AI and other new technologies.
Opening the festival was American-British film "Love Lies Bleeding," starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian. The romantic thriller deals with a story of a lesbian relationship between a reclusive gym manager and an ambitious bodybuilder embroiled in organized crime.
This year's festival includes a retrospective of actress Son Ye-jin, celebrating her illustrious career spanning over 20 years. A string of films will be screened including "The Classic" (2003), "A Moment to Remember" (2004), "My Wife Got Married" (2008), "Spellbound" (2011), "The Truth Beneath" (2016), and "The Last Princess" (2016).
Actress Son Ye-jin poses for a photo at the red carpet event of the annual Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in Gyeonggi Province on July 4, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
Another highlight is the gathering of many globally-acclaimed filmmakers who are expected to brighten up the festival. Hong Kong noir auteur Johnnie To is scheduled to hold an event, following the screening of his 2004 martial arts film "Throw Down" on Friday.
Japanese versatile veteran director Mitani Koki will also grace the festival with a special appearance for Koreans fans over the weekend.
People wait for the opening of the annual Bucheon International Film Festival at a multi-purpose facility in Gyeonggi Province on July 4, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
Action noir "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In," directed by Soi Cheang, will bring the curtain down on the festival on July 14. The movie takes viewers back to a lawless, murky underworld of wild men and villains in Hong Kong in the 1980s.