The first ever Busan Expat Film Festival

Busan's, if not Korea’s, first ever Expat Film Festival is currently playing a variety of expat films.  The inception of the film festival reflects the burgeoning population of foreigners living in Korea which now stands at over 1 million.  The small yet eclectic programme also goes some way in reflecting the diverse ethnicities and the issues they face living in this country. The festival includes directors from the USA, Canada, Germany, Turkey, Sweden, Bangladesh, Japan and Korea.

There are approximately 14 short films in the festival each divided into scheduled sections.  Highlights include Chinese Winter by expat Canadian director Michael Arnold who is probably Korea’s hardest working foreign director, having shot numerous short films.  The film profiles a number of expats working, living, loving and coming to grips with the country they are in.  Anyoung, Sayonara is a Japanese/Korea co production directed by MIN Ji-hyeong.  The film is a teen drama broken into 3 parts that profiles the lives of three young people and the various issues they face living in Korea.  Mahbub Mustaque is a Bangladeshi who lived in Korea for over ten years working in a labor union, but was then deported back to his country.  The film The Returnee is directed by Mustaque and follows his forced homecoming back to Bangledesh and his subsequent attempt to create a new labour union in Nepal.  Director Maya Weimar from Sweden has created an untitled film that is part of a five-director omnibus series telling tales of Korean children adopted to other countries.  From Turkey comes director Murat Copcu who has created a short comedy called Coffee and Milk.  This simple tale profiles a Korean student and a Canadian teacher who literally bump into each other and spill the coffee and milk they are carrying.