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SEOUL — Vara: A Blessing by Bhutanese filmmaker Khyentse Norbu will open the 18th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), organizers of the South Korean cinema event, which will open Oct. 3-12, announced Tuesday.
Vara is about an Indian woman making risks to model for and romance an artist from a lower caste. It is among 301 works from 70 countries that are included in the lineup. The selection is slightly smaller compared to last year’s 304 films from 75 countries, but includes a few more premieres. A total 95 films will make their debut at BIFF, of which 69 are features. There are also 42 international premieres.
“There will be strong presence of films by young emerging Asian filmmakers, and so expect this year’s edition to better reflect the Busan Film Festival’s identity,” said festival director Lee Yong-kwan. Over 90 films are feature debuts or follow-ups by up-and-coming directors.
There will be special showcases on films from Central Asia and Ireland, as well as a retrospective in honor of the late filmmaker Park Chul-soo, who died in a car accident in February.
The Dinner by Korean indie filmmaker Kim Dong-hyun will close the festival. The film tracing the misfortune and unhappiness of a modern family was made with the support of BIFF’s 2011 Asia Cinema Fund.
Meanwhile, the Asia Project Market (APM), an indie film financing event held in conjunction with BIFF, have registered a record number of 249 titles.
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