The Wrestler, directed by Bangladeshi-Canadian filmmaker Iqbal H. Chowdhury, and September 1923, from Japan’s Tatsuya Mori, picked up the New Currents Awards as Busan Worldwide Movie Pageant wrapped a busy twenty eighth version on October 13.

Chowdhury’s movie tells the story of an eccentric fisherman who learns a conventional type of wrestling to tackle the village champion, whereas September 1923, the debut fiction movie of documentary filmmaker Mori, revolves across the bloodbath that came about after the Nice Kanto earthquake 100 years in the past.

The Kim Jiseok Award, introduced to movies in Busan’s Jiseok part, went to Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise, about an Indian couple going through issues of their marriage throughout a visit to Sri Lanka, and Mirlan Abdykalykov’s Bride Kidnapping, in regards to the widespread observe of forcing girls into marriage in Kyrgyzstan.

Busan additionally launched two new awards, the LG OLED New Currents & Imaginative and prescient Awards, introduced to movies within the competition’s New Currents and Korean Cinema Right this moment – Imaginative and prescient sections. Solids By The Seashore, directed by Thailand’s Patiparn Boontarig, gained the LG OLED New Currents Award, whereas The Berefts, from Korea’s Jeong Beom and Hur Jang, took the LG OLED Imaginative and prescient Award. Each prizes got here with a money grant of KRW30M.

The Berefts was a a number of awards winner, as was Oh Jung-min’s Home Of The Seasons, among the many Korean impartial movies screening on the competition (see full listing of award winners beneath). The primary batch of awards had been introduced on October 12, with the New Currents and another awards being introduced on the competition’s closing ceremony on October 13. Chinese language filmmaker Ning Hao’s The Film Emperor, starring Andy Lau, performed because the closing movie.

Regardless of administration turmoil and price range cuts over the previous six months, the competition managed to tug off a buzzy version with excessive participation from each native trade and worldwide company. Viewers attendance hit 143,432 throughout the 10-day occasion, which was 13% down on final yr, however then resulting from price range cuts, the competition solely screened 209 movies this yr, in comparison with 242 in 2022. Seat occupancy elevated from 74% to 82%.

Excessive-profile expertise attending the competition included Chow Yun-fat, Luc Besson, Fan Bingbing, Steven Yuen, John Cho, Justin Chon, Lee Isaac Chung, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

On the trade facet, Asian Contents & Movie Market (ACFM) drew a report 2,479 attendees, filling a 30% bigger exhibition house with 98 cubicles. European Movie Promotion (EFP) and Unifrance hosted the European Pavilion, which was bustling all through the four-day market (October 7-10). Busan Story Market, a bit of the market devoted to IP content material gross sales, hosted a complete of 1,826 conferences. Nonetheless, conversations happening on the side-lines of the market bolstered the truth that the normal gross sales enterprise stays challenged.

The Rising Movies Worldwide Award, a brand new $750,000 funding programme from Taiwan’s Rising Movies to assist impartial Korean movies, went to Journey To Gyeongju, directed by Kim Mijo.

Within the Asian Undertaking Market (APM), Iraq-Canadian challenge Insanity And Honey Days, to be directed by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, gained the Busan Award. Amongst a number of award winners, Rafael Manuel’s Filipinana, a Singapore-UK-Philippines collaboration, gained the TAICCA Award, the ArteKino Worldwide Award and the Kongchak Studio Award.

Chinese language director Jiang Xiaoxuan’s To Kill A Mongolian Horse gained the VIPO Award and Sorfond Award, whereas What’s Love Bought To Do With It, from Japan’s Nanako Hirose, took the CJ ENM Award and ARRI Award. Watch It Burn, from Indonesia’s Makbul Mubarak, was introduced with the One Cool Award.

BUSAN 2023 FULL LIST OF AWARDS:

New Currents Award:
The Wrestler (Bangladesh-Canada), dir: Iqbal H. Chowdhury
September 1923 (Japan), dir: Tatsuya Mori

Kim Jiseok Award:
Paradise (Sri Lanka-India), dir: Prasanna Vithanage
Bride Kidnapping (Kyrgyzstan), dir: Mirlan Abdykalykov

BIFF Mecenat Award:
The Voices Of The Silenced (Korea-Japan), dir: Park Soo-nam, Park Maeui
Republic (Singapore-China), dir: Jin Jiang

Sonje Award:
Mydear (Korea), dir: Jeon Dohee, Kim Sohee
21 Weeks Later (Iran), dir: Nasrin Mohammadpour

Particular Point out: All people’s Gotta Love Generally (France-Myanmar-Indonesia), dir: Sein Lyan Tun

Actors of the 12 months:
Jang Sung-bum, Work To Do (Korea)
Oh Minae, Regarding My Daughter (Korea)

KB New Currents Viewers Award: Heritage (Korea), dir: Lee Jong-su

Flash Ahead Viewers Award: The Dreamer (France), dir: Anais Tellenne

LG OLED New Currents Award: Solids By The Seashore (Thailand): dir: Patiparn Boontarig

LG OLED Imaginative and prescient Award: The Berefts (Korea), dirs: Jeong Beom, Hur Jang

FIPRESCI Award: That Summer season′s Lie (Korea), dir: Sohn Hyun-lok

NETPAC Award: Solids By The Seashore (Thailand): dir: Patiparn Boontarig

DGK Plus M Award:
Work To Do (Korea), dir: Park Hong-jun
Isle Of Snakes (Korea), dir Eu-min Kim

CGV Award: Regarding My Daughter (Korea), dir: Lee Mirang

KBS Impartial Movie Award: Home Of The Seasons (Korea), dir: Oh Jung-min

CGK Award: Home Of The Seasons (Korea), cinematographer: Lee Jinkeun

Critic b Award: Final Summer season (Korea), dir Choi Seung-woo

Aurora Media Award:
Home Of The Seasons (Korea), dir: Oh Jung-min
FAQ (Korea), dir: Kim Da-min

Watcha Brief Award:
Mydear (Korea), dir: Jeon Dohee, Kim Sohee
Karma (Korea), dir: Choi Soohyuk

Citizen Critics’ Award: The Berefts (Korea), dirs: Jeong Beom, Hur Jang

Busan Cinephile Award: Yellow Door: ′90s Lo-fi Movie Membership (Korea), dir: Lee Hyuk-rae