The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has identified Jung Han-seok as the preferred candidate for its new festival director, though the selection process remains ongoing. The final decision will be made at the festival’s second general meeting of the year, scheduled for March 20 at the Busan Cinema Center.
Jung has been a key figure at BIFF since 2019, serving as the Korean Cinema programmer. His work has included highlighting trends in domestic filmmaking and strengthening connections between the Korean film industry and the festival. He has also been a jury member for the Buil Film Awards, Jeonju International Film Festival, and Seoul Independent Film Festival, in addition to advising international events such as the Florence Korea Film Festival and Hong Kong’s Asian Film Awards. Before joining BIFF, Jung worked as a journalist and film critic for the Korean film publication Cine21.
The festival’s selection process for the director position involved two rounds of recruitment, conducted in January and March of this year. After evaluating candidates, BIFF Chairperson Park Kwang-su made the final selection, with the decision supported by a seven-member committee representing a range of perspectives from different regions and fields.
BIFF has faced internal challenges in recent years, including the resignation of four managers in 2023. The appointment of Managing Director Cho Jongkook alongside Artistic Director Huh Moonyung by former BIFF chairman Lee Yong-kwan led to tensions within the local film industry.
Park Kwang-su, who was appointed as BIFF chairperson last year, is an accomplished filmmaker and a key figure in the Korean New Wave. His history with the festival dates back to its founding, when he served as Deputy Director for its first three editions.
French Film Week Brings Award-Winning Cinema to Seoul and Busan
French Film Week will return to South Korea from April 4-13, bringing a curated selection of contemporary French films to audiences in Seoul and Busan. The event, organized by the French Embassy’s cultural service in collaboration with Megabox’s Artnine cinema and the Busan Cinema Center, continues to serve as a platform for showcasing recent French cinema.
Actor Krystal Jung will serve as this year’s festival ambassador. Her performance in Kim Jee-woon’s Cobweb (2023) earned her recognition, including best new actress at the Buil Film Awards and best supporting actress at the Chunsa International Film Festival.
The festival’s lineup consists of 10 films spanning various genres, all presented with Korean subtitles for the first time. Among the featured selections is Mati Diop’s documentary Dahomey (2024), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film explores the return of artifacts looted from Benin during France’s colonial invasion in 1892.
Boris Lojkine’s A Real Job (2024) follows the story of a food delivery cyclist in Paris preparing for an asylum interview. The film won both the jury prize and best actor awards in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
Other selections include Olivier Assayas’ pandemic-set Just the Two of Us (2024), Jean-Baptiste Durand’s César Award-winning Junkyard Dogs (2023), and Delphine and Muriel Coulin’s With Love and Fury (2024), which earned Vincent Lindon the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival.
The festival will also screen Quentin Dupieux’s surrealist comedy Daaaaaali! (2023) and the animated film Angelo in the Enchanted Woods (2024), which received special screenings at Cannes.
Select screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with filmmakers and industry professionals. For screening schedules and ticket information, audiences can visit the French Embassy’s website or follow the social media pages of Artnine and the Busan Cinema Center.
