PIFF selects festival opener and closer

The 12th Pusan International Film Festival announced its opening and closing films yesterday. The festival will open with Feng Xiaogang's "Assembly" and close with "Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone", a Japanimation by Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki and Masayuki.

The much-anticipated "Assembly" will be screened as a world premiere at PIFF. It is the latest film of Feng who gained nationwide fame in China after making such films as "The Banquet", "A World Without Thieves", and "A Sigh".

Co-produced by China's Huayi Brothers Media & Co. Ltd. and Korea's MK Pictures, this film goes beyond the genre of a war-epic; it is a human drama portraying a soldier who devotes his entire life to redeeming the honor of fellow soldiers who are declared missing in action.

The special effects team of 2004's Korean hit, "Taegukgi", did perfect work on the films battle scenes.

The closing film, "Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone" is a big-screen adaptation of the 1995 TV animation series, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" which created die-hard fans and enjoys longstanding popularity.

In 1997, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" went to the movie theaters, garnering box-office success, and this year, 10 years after Evangelion's first silver-screen release, the title is re-born with a new ending and fresh interpretations.

"Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone" -- the first episode of the trilogy -- will be unveiled in Japan on Sept. 1 and then be shown at PIFF as an international premiere.

PIFF, Asia's major film festival, will be held in the southeastern port city of Busan on Oct. 4-12.

By Yang Sung-jin

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