NEWS & REPORTS
See Your Schedule
Ko - production in Busan
- Korean Film News
- 2014 BIFF Special Report | New Currents Jury Press Conference
- by Pierce Conran / Oct 06, 2014
- Jury Head Asghar FARHADI Hopes for Open Minded Deliberation
On Friday morning, Busan International Film Festival director LEE Yong-gwan and the members of this year’s New Currents jury gathered in the KNN Art Hall for a press conference concerning the festival’s signature competition. The New Currents section, which features 12 titles, offers two awards to debut or sophomore works from emerging Asian filmmakers.This year’s jury features noted Iranian filmmaker Asghar FARHADI as the jury head, Bulgarian professor Dina Iordanova, French philosopher Jacques Rancière, Indian actress and filmmaker Suhasini MANIRATNAM and Korean director BONG Joon Ho.When asked how he would evaluate the films in the year’s competition, FARHADI, the Oscar winning Iranian filmmaker behind A Separation (2011) offered that he is eager to go into every film with an open mind. Rather than examine the separate elements that constitute each works, he hopes to view each as a whole. MANIRATNAM echoed this sentiment later in the press conference.Famed philosopher Rancière was prompted to offer his thoughts on the relationship between cinema and philosophy. Though he considers himself an amateur film watcher, he elucidated on cinema as an art of contradiction which can be viewed from both narrative and aesthetic points of view. He also joked that after decades as a professor, he hates to assign grades.Referring to his absence from last night’s opening ceremony, Director BONG explained that he had to visit the hospital with a fever. He quipped to journalists that they need not worry, as he hasn’t contracted the Ebola Virus. Though not in the best condition, he looks forward to his duties, particularly as he still hopes that people can see him as a new and fresh filmmaker.This year’s lineup of New Currents films hail from ten countries, including Bangladesh and Lebanon, nations that feature in the competition for the first time. A brace of local films (End of Winter, We Will Be OK) are also representing Korea this year. The 19th Busan International Film Festival kicked off last night with a presentation of Taiwanese drama Paradise in Service and will run until Saturday, October 11th.
- Any copying, republication or redistribution of KOFIC's content is prohibited without prior consent of KOFIC.
