BISFF News
The 39th Busan International Short Film Festival
6-day long film festival in spring season ends successfully
It's precious to watch a movie with others, and it's ‘moving’ to reconnect with the audience in a theater after three years
This year's BISFF, which attempted many things under the theme 'Expanding Cinema,' closes with many positive reviews from viewers
The Grand Prix of the International Competition goes to Adjustment, the Grand Prix of the Korean Competition goes to Nowhere Else
- The festival, which featured 154 films from 48 nations, concludes with the Closing Ceremony.
- The Grand Prix of the
International Competition goes to Adjustment, the Korean Competition
goes to Nowhere Else, Operation Kino goes to Seungwoo
- The Audience Award of the
International Competition goes to At the Feet of My Mother, the Korean
Competition goes to Mast
The 39th Busan International Short Film Festival wrapped up its six-day program with the closing ceremony on Monday, May 2nd.
The 39th Busan International
Short Film Festival (BISFF) is Korea’s oldest short film festival, and
qualifies for the most international film festivals. The festival is the
representative short film festival in Korea, and it influences the worldwide
cinema industry outside of Korea and Asia. With the theme “Expanding Cinema,” this year’s festival
featured 154 films from 48 different nations. After
three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are finally at the endemic phase,
allowing the festival to hold various programs such as 'Guest Visit (Q&A)'
and 'Program Guide (PG),' where the audience and film professionals could
interact. Cha Minchol, the president of the BISFF, expressed his gratitude and
went on to say: "This year's festival was held as we were returning to
normal, which made me realize how valuable it was to watch a film in a theater
with the audience."
The closing ceremony, held
on May 2nd at the Busan Cinema Center, opened with a video featuring highlights
from the festival's six-day journey, and unveiled a total of 13 award-winning
films. After a rigorous judging process, the Grand Prix of the International
Competition went to Adjustment (director Mehrdad Hassani), the
Grand Prix of the Korean Competition went to Nowhere Else
(director Lee Kyeongwon), and the Grand Prix of the Operation Kino went to Seungwoo
(director Lee Haesol from Dongeui University). Because the BISFF is an Academy
Award qualifying short film festival, the Grand Prix Award winners in both
the International and Korean Competitions will be recommended as Academy Award
nominees in the categories of 'Best Short Film' and 'Best Animated Short Film.'
The NETPAC Award, given to the remarkable Asian film among the films in the
International and Korean Competition, went to The Boys Club by
Chen Yihwen. The Agora Award, chosen from six films shown in the Operation Kino
section by directors who attended the festival, was given to Seungwoo,
which also won the Grand Prix of the Korean Competition, making it a double
winner. In addition, the Audience Award, chosen by the audience who attended
the screenings, went to At the Feet of My Mother by Vincent
Sparreboom and Mast by Lee Juseung.
◆ International Competition
The
39th Busan International Short Film Festival featured 40 films in
the International Competition category. After a thorough judging process, Adjustment
won the Grand Prix Award and KRW 10,000,000 in prize money. The judges remarked
that the film depicts a period in the life of a boy with a gentle and poetic
perspective, and that the narrative developed naturally. The Excellence Award
and KRW 5,000,000 in prize money went to Titan by Valéry Carnoy,
and the Jury Award went to I Am Trying To Remember by
Pegah Ahangarani, which expands on the very old theme of wishing for democracy
and creates a very realistic and relatable story. Furthermore, Vincent
Sparreboom’s At the Feet of My Mother received the
Audience Award due to the film getting the most votes from the audience during
the festival.
◆ Korean Competition
This year’s festival featured 20 films in the Korean
Competition category. Nowhere Else received the Grand Prix Award
and KRW 5,000,000 in prize money. The judges remarked that the film depicts a
story of trauma, memory and sorrow in a concise yet stunning way. The
Excellence Award and KRW 3,000,000 in prize money went to An Excessive
Day (director Zhao Danyang). The Best Acting Award, which is presented
to the actor who provides the best performance, was handed to 'Uhm Junki,' who
gave an immersive performance in Honor Guard (director Lee
Sangmin). The Jury Award went to Cicada (director Yoon
Daewoen), which drew attention with its concise narrative and strong visuals.
The judges offered a special mention to Iwa’s Trace of Time,
commenting that it was the most unique film submitted to the Korean Competition
category. Furthermore, the Audience Award was given to Mast (director
Lee Juseung), which was very well received by the audience.
◆ NETPAC Award
The NETPAC Award is
given by the Asian Film Organization to a remarkable Asian film from among the
films in the International and Korean Competition. The judges remarked that
there were “various genres, various topics, various dramas – from personal to
social, local to global ones. There were impressive ways to express and
describe feelings, doubts, hesitations, inner fears, and attempts to discover
unspoken desires and to find or re-find your personality for yourself.” The
judges explained that The Boys Club was awarded the NETPAC Award
because they were blown away by the director's bravery, her determination to
not give up on her film, and her fascinating documentary storytelling ability.
◆ Operation Kino
Operation Kino, which is
celebrating its 11th year, is a program that produces and promotes short
documentaries in order to foster film talent in Busan. It is sponsored by
the Jung-gu District Office of Busan Metropolitan City. The Grand Prix was
granted to Seungwoo, a film about a middle-aged man who
survived government violence as a child and is now struggling to live a
normal life while trying to forget his past. The Agora Award, chosen by the
festival's film directors, was also given to Seungwoo, making it
a double winner. The Excellence Award went to Renaissance (directed
by Noh Heekwan and Park Hyunyoung), which helped us reassess the original
meaning and purpose of the urban redevelopment project.
The award-winning films and
comprehensive reviews from the 39th Busan International Short Film Festival can
be found on the festival's official website (www.bisff.org). The 39th BISFF
ended successfully, letting audiences understand the special allure of short
films by demonstrating the infinite possibilities and expansion of cinema
through increasingly diverse and complex planning.
[Attachment 1] The image of the
festival’s closing ceremony in 2022
[Attachment 2] The list and the
review of the 39th BISFF award-winning film
[Attachment 3] The official poster
of the 39th BISFF