The 7th Pusan International Film Festival kicks off on Nov. 14, and not a moment too soon for Taiwan's beleaguered film industry. After a dismal performance by local movies at this year's Taipei Golden Horse Awards in which they picked up nominations in only nine categories -- compared to 14 for films from Hong Kong -- a total of 18 Taiwanese films will be shown at this year's festival.
The first and only event of its kind in Korea, the Pusan International Film Festival was designed to showcase Asian films in general and Korean films in particular, giving young directors a venue to spread their wings. Its lineup was announced on Wednesday, with 228 films selected for the 10-day showcase. Korean director Kim Ki-duk's highly anticipated film, The Coast Guard, will open the festival. And acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano's Venice contender Dolls has been selected as the finale.
The Coast Guard, Kim Ki-duk's seventh movie, was chosen as the opening film in an effort to focus on a new generation of Korean directors. In this film, Kim, who is known for his raw and unconventional style, tells the story of a private serving on Korea's heavily-militarized maritime border. Starring Korean celebrity actor Jang Dong-gun, the film showcases Kim's trademark violence and is expected to generate controversy with its political overtones.
Takeshi Kitano continues a sustained foray away from violence with Dolls, his tenth film. Kitano gained a reputation for making gangster movies until a motorcycle accident in 1994 which he barely survived. His movies since that point have focused on the aesthetics of emotion.
Led by Hou Hsiao-hsien (
Taiwan's entries to the New Currents competition -- a forum for fresh talent which recognizes first or second films by Asian directors -- are Brave 20 (鹹豆漿) by Wang Ming-tai (王明台), a love story set in a Taipei high school during the 1980s, and The Trigger (扣板機), a stylish urban drama by Alex Yang (楊順清) who has in the past collaborated with director Edward Yang (楊德昌).
The Rules of the Game (挖洞人) by Ho Ping (何平), Teng Yung-Shing's Love at 7-Eleven, and Chang Tso-chi's (張作驥) The Best of Times (美麗時光), which earned nominations in nine categories at this year's Golden Horse Awards, will show during the festival's panorama section.
In just six years the Pusan festival has become the leading events of its kind in Asia. The Pusan Promotional Plan, an Asian film project market which attracts industry figures from throughout the world, will take place from Nov. 18 to Nov. 20. The project serves as a forum for investors and producers to get acquainted with up-and-coming filmmakers and their work. This year, the project will showcase 21 projects in development including ones by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Hong Kong's Peter Chan, Korea's Hong Sang-soo and award-winning Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf, who will be producing a film from Afghanistan.
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