From holding Korea's first sing-along event of “KPop Demon Hunters” to expanding its film lineup, the 30th edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is doing everything in its power to invigorate the struggling film industry.

The event is set to kick off on Sept. 17 and run until Sept. 26, and 328 films — including 241 official selections from 64 countries and 87 works entered into the festival’s side program, Community BIFF — will be screened across seven theaters in Busan, including the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City and Dongseo University Sohyang Theatre ShinhanCard Hall.


Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the festival has invited acting juggernauts and auteur directors while also preparing a few new additions, including a program in partnership with the Korean Film Archive and the first-ever sing-along screening of Netflix's “KPop Demon Hunters."

The sing-along event will take place at the 1,000-seat Dongseo University venue. Details, including when the event will take place and the number of tickets, will be disclosed at a later date, according to BIFF. Aligning with the festival's aim to bring the audience to theaters, the event is set to offer an experience where audiences can fully enjoy the film's music on site.

“Everyone is well aware of the crisis the Korean film industry is facing,” said Jung Han-seok, the festival's director, at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. “One of our core intentions and purposes is to serve as a festival that supports the industry to overcome the crisis.”

The nation's film industry has been struggling due to a dwindling number of moviegoers. In the first half of this year, the number of moviegoers fell 32.5 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Korean Film Council.

To spark a revival of the Korean cinema, the festival chose Park Chan-wook’s latest film, “No Other Choice,” starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, to open the festival, a week before the film's Sept. 24 release. The dark thriller follows Man-soo, a middle-aged man who, after being suddenly fired from a paper company, becomes determined to find a new job. The opening ceremony will be hosted by Lee.

For the first time, BIFF has launched a Competition section, featuring 14 films from Asian countries. The initiative aims to shed light on Asian films and present a fresh perspective on Asian cinema through the eyes of the continent, according to BIFF. Previously, the festival was non-competitive, though it still presented honors such as the Asian Filmmaker of the Year, the Korean Cinema Award and the Camellia Award.

With this new section, the closing ceremony will focus on the awards presentation, where the winners of the Competition section will be revealed, bringing the ten-day festival to a close. Actor Claudia Kim will host the ceremony.

Festival Chairperson Park Kwang-su hopes the new format will “add some more tension and excitement to the closing ceremony.”

Another new event highlighted during the press conference was the Carte Blanche program, which will allow the Korean industry's most beloved figures to share their perspectives on films of their choosing. The inaugural event will feature “KPop Demon Hunters” director Maggie Kang, Bong Joon-ho, actor Gang Dong-won, novelist Eun Hui-gyeong and journalist Sohn Suk-hee. Details, including the event's venue and the number of available tickets, will be announced later.

Cinephiles will also have a chance to meet additional global household names such as Marco Bellocchio — making his first appearance at an Asian film festival — Sean Baker, Guillermo del Toro and Lee Chang-dong.

“It sounds like an overstatement, but we truly believe this year’s lineup of international guests is monumental, being the largest and finest in the history of the Busan International Film Festival,” said Jung.

BIFF also aims to make the festival more accessible for families: Child care will be available for children ages three to eight while parents attend screenings, according to Chairperson Park.

The screening schedule will be announced on Friday and general screening tickets will go on sale on Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets to the opening and closing ceremony go on sale on Sept. 5 at 2 p.m.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]