The 24th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Festival Director: SHIN Chul, hereafter BIFAN) will be kicking off the festival on July 9th with Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming. A total of 194 films from 42 countries have been invited to be screened at theaters and online/mobile platforms. BIFAN unveiled the overall program for the festival's 24th edition on the 18th.
The opening film, Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming (directed by LEE Myung), carries on the lineage of the Whispering Corridors series which broke new ground in the world of Korean high school horror films. The film tells the story of a character named Eun-hee, who is reminded of her shocking past after being appointed as the vice-principal of her alma mater. Eun-hee is played by veteran actor KIM Seo-hyung, who brings her authenticity and extraordinary presence to the screen. Newcomers KIM Hyeon-soo and CHOI Ri, who star as high-school students in the film, also deliver standout performances. The winner of this year's Best of Bucheon Award, which is presented to a film from the Best of Bucheon: Features section, will be the closing film.
A total of 194 films (89 features, 85 shorts, 20 VR) from 42 countries will be screened this year. In addition to thrillers, horror stories, and fantasies that show the identity of a genre film festival, black comedies and animations that deliver a new kind of delight also await audiences. A total of 72 of these films (22 features, 50 shorts) will be making their world premiere at BIFAN 2020.
The sci-fi and dystopian disaster genres have a stronger presence at BIFAN this year than any other previous year. The styles and topics of the films are various and include things such as the threat of outer space, dystopian future and contagion, the fear of dehumanization, and the isolation and identity of man. One of the most highly-anticipated works is the SF8 series, a “Korean sci-fi anthology,” from eight of the most active genre film directors in Korea. The series presents a new model for release by being released on a variety of platforms, such as film festivals, television, and OTT platforms.
This year, the rapid progress that has been made by female directors from Korea, Europe, and the Americas can be seen in the films at BIFAN. What stands out in the films of these directors is the thoughtful observation of beings that have not had a voice in the androcentric worlds that have dominated genre films for a long time. The films present a new world of genre cinema by reinterpreting genre conventions through a feminist approach.
This year's festival will also be introducing Asian films that show different variations in terms of theme and style. Japanese films that reflect on social issues and the ambiguity of social truths, and films from Taiwan and Hong Kong that stand out for their creativity, await audiences. A special program has also been organized this year which focuses on the renaissance of cinema in China, where there has been significant growth in terms of the number of films made in a year, as well as in terms of scale and quality. In addition, Indonesian films that boldly push the envelope, and Indian films that deliver the kind of rhythm and energy that is characteristic of films from the region, will also be shown.
The 24th BIFAN will be breaking from the traditional operating structure of film festivals that require face-to-face interaction, and will be holding a “hybrid” film festival that keeps pace with the changing media environment. Films will be screened both offline at theaters and online through Watcha. For a special program on the Renaissance of Chinese Genre Movies, selected films will be screened on the Smart Cinema mobile app. In addition, a showcase of 10 vertical short films and multiple online events will be presented in collaboration with TikTok. By increasing touchpoints, BIFAN aims to make qualitative changes and create new opportunities for audiences to enjoy films.
The 24th BIFAN has taken on a new mission in 2020, the 101st year of Korean cinema, to “amplify genre talent and introduce it to the world.” In line with this goal, BIFAN is expanding the scale of projects that discover, foster, and support Korean genre film talents to KRW 700 million, which is a 500 million increase from last year.
