Busan 'Vision' Introduces 23 Independent Films from Asia

From Newcomers to Veterans:
Festival Opens on October 6

The Busan International Film Festival is demonstrating both a generational shift and regional expansion through the "Vision" section, which broadened its scope to all of Asia last year. On August 24, it released a lineup featuring 23 independent films.

From the left, still cuts of 'Gwirble', 'Things Left at the Theater', and 'Not for You'.

Among the twelve Korean films, a generational shift is apparent. Director Kim Hyomi's feature debut, Gwibeolle, portrays the coming-of-age of an aspiring novelist with bold imagination. Director Park Geunyoung presents The Things Left at the Theater, while director Shin Dongmin introduces Not for You, which deals with themes of loss and mourning. Director Kim Miyoung, previously noted for Jeolhaegodo (2023), joins the lineup with The Detective.

New works from acclaimed directors also stand out. Director Oh Sehyun, who was invited in 2021 with Woosoo (2022), delivers Vailer, which quietly depicts a woman in her thirties spending a month in the countryside at a turning point in her life. Director Park Songyeol, who won the Criticb Award and KBS Independent Film Award for Hot by Day, Cold by Night (2022), takes a broader look at family life in Beyond the Horizon of Love. 2023 FIPRESCI Award winner Son Hyeonrok builds tension with Bird, following the string of student falls. Park Hongmin, active at the Rotterdam and Vancouver International Film Festivals, continues his signature surreal world with Space.

The eleven films in the "Vision-Asia" section share the common feature of reflecting diverse social realities in their respective countries, each through its own perspective. 1982 by Vietnamese director Nguyen Hoang Diep follows the journey of searching for a missing mother, while Japanese director Ryohei Kumamoto’s After the Song Ends depicts the coming-of-age story of a teenage boy. Isabella Lam Lokkin’s feature debut from Hong Kong, Dead End, portrays a man’s anxiety shaken by the appearance of his half-brother.

Stills of '1982 (left)' and 'After the Song Ends.'

The themes of migration and oppression also recur throughout various works. Philippine director Arvin Belarmino’s Ria delves into the struggles of a folk-punk musician. Mongolian director Sahiya Byamba’s Standing Still satirizes a repressive order teetering at an isolated gas station. Mani Moghadam’s first feature Dreamless examines Iran’s unstable reality through magical realism, while Thai actresses Intira Charoenpura and Pensiri Klangsurin make their feature debut as co-directors with Bua, telling the painful growth story of a mixed-race girl.

Films from Indian and Central Asian directors continue the same vein. Sailesh Ratnakumar’s first feature Selvi explores themes of migration, labor, love, and empathy, while Shashank Walia, known for his collaborations with platforms such as Netflix, delivers his feature debut Birds in the Dark, which communicates philosophical messages through stunning visuals. Kazakh director Darkhan Tulegenov’s Umbilical Cord depicts a woman’s struggle to prove her son’s innocence, and Japanese director Yaza Takenoshin, who gained notoriety at sixteen for his nuclear documentary, tackles the weight and responsibility of life in The Light of Illusion.

This year, the Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 6 to October 15 at the Busan Cinema Center and throughout the city of Busan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.