The prestigious Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has recently announced its list of award winners, alongside confirming rescheduled dates for its 2025 edition. The festival, celebrated for its role in promoting new talents and showcasing diverse cinematic voices from across Asia, highlighted exceptional works through its New Currents and Kim Jiseok Awards, among others.
Park Ri-woong took centre stage with his film “The Land of Morning Calm” which was lauded for its skillful storytelling and portrayal of emotional nuances within a rural Korean coastal community. This narrative triumph was paired with The Maw Naing's “MA – Cry of Silence”, honoured for its bold depiction of resistance against Myanmar's political landscape. Both films jointly received the New Currents Award, a category dedicated to first or second-time Asian filmmakers. Furthermore, “The Land of Morning Calm” garnered additional accolades with the KB New Currents Audience Award and the NETPAC Award, celebrating its storytelling craft and public appeal.
The New Currents jury was chaired by renowned dissident Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof. His fellow jurors included esteemed Korean director Lee Myung-Se, Chinese actor Zhou Dongyu, Indian actor Kani Kusruti, and Vanja Kaludjercic, director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
In the Kim Jiseok Award category, spotlighting seasoned filmmakers, Rima Das’ “Village Rockstars 2” and Tom Lin Shu-Yu’s “Yen and Ai-Lee” shared the honour. “Village Rockstars 2” received acclaim as an “honest poetic expression of everyday life”, while “Yen and Ai-Lee” was recognised for its daring exploration of a complex mother-daughter relationship. The awards jury featured Christian Jeune from the Cannes Film Festival, Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage, and Korean director Shin Suwon.
BIFF’s commitment to documentary filmmaking was reflected in the BIFF Mecenat Award. This accolade was given jointly to “Works and Days” by Park Minsoo and Ahn Kearnhyung, and “Another Home” by Frankie Sin. The award recognized their outstanding contributions to the documentary genre, and the jury encompassed Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Japanese DD Center director Fujioka Asako, and Korean director Lee Soojung.
In the short film section of the festival, the Sonje Award was bestowed upon Song Jiseo’s “Yurim” from Korea, and Eléonore Mahmoudian and Matsui Hiroshi’s “A Garden in Winter” from Japan/France. Lim Daehyung, Constance Tsang, and Yamanaka Yoko, directors from Korea, America, and Japan respectively, judged the entries in this category.
Honouring individual performances, Yoo Lee-ha was named Actor of the Year - Male for his role in “The Final Semester”, and Park Seoyun garnered Actor of the Year - Female for her performance in “Humming”. The selection jury included renowned Korean actors Kim Sunyoung and Ryu Junyeol.
Additionally, the Flash Forward Audience Award was claimed by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss’s “Memories of a Burning Body” from Costa Rica/Spain, while Jo Seyoung’s “K-Number” took home the Documentary Audience Award.
In an update concerning future festivals, BIFF announced that its 30th edition will run from September 17 to September 26, 2025. This shift from the usual October schedule aims to avoid overlapping with Korea's Chuseok mid-autumn harvest festival, a significant three-day national holiday occurring in October. The Asian Contents & Film Market is slated to be held from September 20 to September 23, marking a significant event for industry professionals.
This year's festival echoed its enduring commitment to celebrating substantial cinematic contributions from across the globe, providing a platform for emerging and established voices in the film industry.
Source: Noah Wire Services