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An impressive list of heavyweight guests befitting the upcoming celebration of 20 years of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will honor this year’s edition with their presence. Especially, it will be an opportunity for festival-goers to meet a number of filmmakers regarded ‘legends’. And it’s an overwhelming deal just to look at the list of names.

 

 

First, to look at the acting talent list, Nastassja Kinski stands out. This isn’t her first visit to Korea. In 1989, she came to promote her film Magdalene (1988). The actress who was in her 20s back then is now in her mid-fifties and will be chairing the 'New Currents' competition at this year’s BIFF. The daughter to renown German actor, Klaus Kinski, she’s been considered the icon of exotic allure. She gained international acclaim with Roman Polanski’s Tess (1979), and reached the peak of her career in the 1980s, starring in films such as Paul Schrader’s Cat People (1982), Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas (1984), and Revolution (1985) alongside the likes of co-star, Al Pacino. 

 

Another star from Europe that heated up the 1980s and will be visiting this year’s BIFF is Sophie Marceau. Playing Mathilde who ends up in prison for assisting another woman’s jailbreak in Audrey Estrougo’s Jailbirds (2015) invited in BIFF’s ‘World Cinema’ section. Marceau’s been attracting considerable attention with her performance in the film, breaking away from her conventional image with a role totally different from what she’s played in the past.

 

Meanwhile, Tilda Swinton who’s become a familiar name to the Korean audience since her collaboration with BONG Joon-ho in Snowpiercer (2013) will also have her chance to walk along the sandy beach of Haeundae. She was at BIFF six years ago with Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love (2009). Working again with Guadagnino in the director’s latest film, A Bigger Splash (2015) to be showcased in this BIFF’s ‘Gala Presentation’, she plays the legendary rock star, Marianne in this drama of jealousy and desire.

 

Festival-goers will also be able to meet with a legendary Asian actress as well. Now in her mid-fifties, YANG Kuei-Mei who became LEE Kang-sheng and TSAI Ming-liang’s muse since Vive L'Amour (1994), is still going strong as one of the leading actresses of Taiwanese cinema as she proves in The Mad King of Taipei (2015) invited to the ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ section.

 

Another ‘legendary actor’ whom festival-goers will be able to meet in Busan this year is Harvey Keitel, a true master in acting with more than 100 films in his filmography which shifts between Hollywood and European, mainstream commercial and independent films during a course of half a century, and who is still actively sought out in film at the age of 76. He stars with Michael Caine, Jane Fonda and Rachel Weisz in Italian filmmaker, Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film Youth (2015) invited in the ‘World Cinema’ section. 

 

 

 

Actor CHANG Chen who worked with masters from the Sinosphere such as Ang LEE, WONG Kar Wai, Edward YANG, John WOO and HOU Hsiao-hsien, and on Korean filmmaker, KIM Ki-duk’s Breath (2007), returns after a long absence from the festival. He stars in HOU Hsiao-hsien’s Cannes Best Director Award-winning film The Assassin (2015). Japanese actor, ASANO Tadanobu stars in KUROSAWA Kiyoshi’s Journey to the Shore (2015). The Korean female-fan-favorite actor who recently expanded the stage to Hollywood, plays a man who returns home after going missing for 3 years.

 

In the younger group of Japanese acting talents are NAKAJIMA Yuto and SUDA Masaki. NAKAJIMA Yuto is a former idol group member while SUDA Masaki is a youth star who recently played in Assassination Classroom (2015). Both born in 1993 perform in YUKISADA Isao’s Pink and Gray (2015) invited to the ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ section.

 

Among the Chinese acting talents is ZHAO Tao, a familiar face in JIA Zhangke’s films is coming with another JIA Zhangke’s film, Mountains May Depart (2015), invited in the ‘Gala Presentation’ section. Taiwanese actor, CHEN Bolin performs in SUN Hao’s Bad Guys Always Die (2015) in ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ section, a crime action co-starring Korean actress, SON Ye-jin.

 

 

 

The guest list of masters of cinema is also solid. A member of the Nouvelle Vague and filmmaker who will be forever remembered for his film, A Man and a Woman (1966), the 78 year-old master, Claude Lelouch will be attending BIFF this year with his latest film, Un plus une (2015) invited to the ‘Gala Presentation’ section. The tale of love and life he sought after in A Man and a Woman continues to be a recurring theme for Lelouch, even after almost 50 years. Another French filmmaker, Leos Carax is a friendly name. Two of his films, Bad Blood (1986) and Holy Motors (2012) will be in the ‘Special Programs in Focus, My French Cinema’ section.

 

Leading Asian master of cinema, HOU Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin has been invited to the ‘Gala Presentation’. Attracting attention as a martial arts film made by HOU Hsiao-hsien, this film reconfirmed the filmmaker’s artistry with an award for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. In the ‘Wide Angle’ section, Christopher Doyle will be visiting BIFF this year with Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous (2015). The Australian-born filmmaker, known for his innovated style as the director of photography on WONG Kar Wai’s films, has captured modern day images of Hong Kong, but this time as a director.

 

A number of Sinosphere veteran filmmakers in addition to HOU Hsiao-hsien are coming to Busan. JIA Zhangke mentioned earlier is a longtime friend of BIFF. He returns again with his latest film, Mountains May Depart. Sylvia CHANG, Hong Kong actress and film director who has been working in the field since the 1970s, will be chairing the jury for the ‘New Currents’ section. Mabel CHEUNG who was active in film around the same time as Sylvia CHANG is famous as the director of An Autumn's Tale (1987). Her film invited to this year’s BIFF, A Tale of Three Cities is the first film she’s made in 12 years. FENG Xiaogang who has the experience of opening BIFF with his film, Assembly (2007) returns as the producer of Bad Guys Always Die.

 

Thailand’s Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL and Japan’s KAWASE Naomi who participated in the omnibus film, Color of Asia - Masters in the ‘Gala Presentation’ section are coming to Korea as well. Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL is also bringing his film, Cemetery of Splendour (2015) to showcase in ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ section.

 

KORE-EDA Hirokazu of Sea Town Diary (2015), and YUKISADA Isao of Pink and Gray (2015) are two of the leading veteran Japanese filmmakers coming to Busan. Iraq’s Bahman GHOBADI is also visiting with his latest film, A Flag without a Country (2015).