PIFF to Set Sail

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) will kick off Thursday in the nation's biggest port city.

A gala opening ceremony will be hosted by actors Ahn Sung-ki and Moon Geun-young at the Yachting Center in Haeundae to mark the beginning of the 11th festival, which will continue through Oct. 20.

International and local film stars are expected to make their way on the red carpet to meet thousands of their fans.

Some 150 local actors are expected to heat up the festival mood on the opening night, and participating celebrities include Jung Woo-sung, Kim Tae-hee, Daniel Henney, Park Yong-woo and Lee Joon-gi,

Kim Dae-seung, director of the opening film "Trace of Love", and the film's main actors _ Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Ji-soo, Uhm Ji-won _ will also greet fans in the ceremony, followed by the screening of the melodrama.

From Thursday, the festival presents a total of 245 films from 63 countries in 10 sections, with 64 films making their world premieres, and the nine-day journey ends with the closing film "Crazy Stone" by Chinese director Ning Hao.

Fireworks light up the sky during the opening ceremony of the 10th Pusan International Film Festival on Oct. 6, 2005. /Korea Times
As the festival has put a great emphasis on Asian films, more than 100 films by rising and master filmmakers in Asia will be shown through such sections as A Window on Asian Cinema and New Currents.

To show the more diversified array of Korean films, the section, previously called Korean Film Panorama, was changed to Korean Cinema Today, and it has been divided into three sub-categories _ Panorama, Vision and Special Premieres.

Panorama shows a collection of recently opened Korean films; low-budget, independent films will be shown in Vision; while in Special Premieres, unreleased local films will be shown.

In the Korean film Retrospective section, old surviving movies that the Korean Film Archive has found will be screened as well as the late director Shin Sang-ok's movies, most of which have been restored recently.

In the Special Tribute to French Cinema, 10 classic and modern French movies will be shown.

Along with the screenings of acclaimed films, PIFF is full of special events including music concerts and workshops with celebrities.

Every night from 7:30 p.m. at the outdoor theater in Haeundae Yacht Center, there will be a music concert before the movie screenings.

More dynamic parties are also offered: Cinematic Love will be held at the Film Commission Cinema Studio B from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15, with music from local bands and disc jockeys.