Busan Intercity Film Festival opens Friday, spotlighting UNESCO creative cities

The 10th Busan Intercity Film Festival opens Friday and runs through Sunday at the Cinematheque at Busan Cinema Center and Mousai Theater. Held under the slogan "Film People City," the three-day festival showcases local films from Busan and other UNESCO Cities of Film, as well as cities from around the world.

Busan was elected chair city of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network's film division in July 2024 and has since been expanding exchanges and cooperation among the world's Cities of Film. The festival is expected to further raise Busan's profile as an international film city.

This year, 21 cities and film platforms are taking part — including 16 UNESCO Cities of Film from 12 countries, along with domestic and international partner cities — presenting a diverse range of local films from across the globe.

The special section "Drawing City," which each year focuses on a single city or theme to pose cinematic questions, will introduce two works examining the memory and reality of cities at war, both making their domestic premieres. The program includes "Clinic," directed by Midi Z, which captures the reality of Myanmar's civil war, and "Lost in Bosnia," a portrait of Sarajevo in the aftermath of conflict. Post-screening cine-talks will explore the realities of war-torn cities and the cinematic lens through which they are viewed.

Marking the 10th anniversary of the Busan Intercity Residency film production project, the festival will also screen "From the Mountain," a feature-length documentary by Busan filmmaker Lee Seong-uk, who was dispatched to Lodz, Poland, this year. The film moves between the landscapes and myths of Busan and Lodz to explore different cultures' relationships with nature. A cine-talk following the screening will allow the director to share the production process and his creative experience.

Online tickets are available through the Busan Cinema Center website (www.dureraum.org) and the Mousai Theater website (https://mousai0042.modoo.at/). Detailed program information and schedules can be found on the Busan Independent Film Association website (www.indiebusan.com).