The Netflix historical epic "Uprising" is the opening film at this year's Busan International Film Festival, which opens on Oct. 2. (Netflix)

By Kim Hyelin

This year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will feature more works than last year's with 224 invited movies like the historical epic "Uprising."

The BIFF Secretariat on the morning of Sept. 3 held a news conference at the Creative Economy Innovation Center in Busan's Haeundae-gu District to announce the event's opening and closing films, invited works and direction of planning. BIFF will run from Oct. 2-11 at seven multiplexes in the city including Busan Cinema Theater, CGV Centum City and Lotte Cinema Centum City.

The number of officially invited films is 224 from 63 countries, 279 if the 55 works in the Community BIFF section are included. Among the 224, 86 will make their world premieres.

Directed by Kim Sang-man and written and produced by Park Chan-wook, the opening film "Uprising" made headlines from its announcement thanks to its all-star cast of Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min and Cha Seung-won.

 
Set during the Imjin Waeran, or the Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 1500s, the movie is about two childhood friends who become enemies later in life. Cheon Yeong is the son of the Joseon Dynasty's leading military family who eventually becomes King Seonjo's closest military officer and Jong-ryeo is his former servant who joins the rebel army against the king. 

The Netflix-produced film is the first work by an over-the-top platform to be selected by BIFF.

The closing film is Singapore's leading director Erick Khoo's "Spirit World," which was invited to the Cannes, Berlin and Venice festivals and won Korea's Order of Cultural Merit. The movie portrays the driving force of life in a world where life and death are not separated.

The festival will feature works by Asian cinematic luminaries such as Chinese director Wang Bing and movies by master directors like Bruno Dumont's "Empire," which won the Silver Bear Jury Prize at this year's Berlin Film Festival, and Sean Baker's "Anora," which claimed the Palme d'Or in Cannes.

The commemorative program "Beautiful Person, Lee Sun-kyun" will feature the leading works of the actor, who died last year.

More information is available on the festival's official website (https://www.biff.kr/eng/).

This is the official poster for this year's Busan International Film Festival. (Event's official website)