The chairman of the Busan International Film Festival directly answered the background of Actors Lee Byung-hun and Su-hyun being selected as hosts for the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively.
On the afternoon of the 26th, a press conference was held to announce the 30th Busan International Film Festival (abbreviated as BIFF) at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry located on Sejong-daero in Jung-gu, Seoul. Park Kwang-soo, chairman of the Busan International Film Festival Organizing Committee, Jeong Han-seok, executive chairman, Kim Yeong-deok, chair of the market committee, and Park Ga-eun, chief programmer, attended to discuss the upcoming 30th Busan International Film Festival.
The Busan International Film Festival is a festival planned to develop Busan, the birthplace of Korean cinema, into a cultural and artistic hub suitable for the era of local autonomy, moving away from a centralized visual culture. It started in 1996 and this year marks its 30th.
To this end, the opening ceremony, marking the start of the festival, will be exclusively hosted by Lee Byung-hun, kicking off the event. In the closing ceremony, which is the finale of the festival, Actor Su-hyun will also host alone, adding significance to the award presentation in the competitive sections.
In this regard, Chairman Park Kwang-soo said, "After watching last year's opening and closing ceremonies, I thought we shouldn't do it that way. This year will especially focus on the awards ceremony, but since the non-competitive sector has been organized, it wasn't a proper ceremony. I entrusted the direction to the talented filmmaker Min Gyu-dong, who can encompass the entire stage."
"We selected a solo host who can control both foreign and domestic guests from the center stage to lead the festival. Lee Byung-hun will host the opening ceremony, and Actor Su-hyun will host the closing ceremony, which I expect will bring a different atmosphere," he expressed.
Finally, Chairman Park Kwang-soo noted, "At this year's closing ceremony, there will also be a morning press conference, but we will not announce the award results. Until the winners are called, no one will know who receives the award, and the winners will come up without knowing. The closing ceremony will have a sense of tension and fun."
The 30th Busan International Film Festival will be held from September 17 to 26 at the Cinematheque Busan.
[Photo] Provided by OSEN DB and the Busan International Film Festival Organizing Committee.
[OSEN]