Organizing Committee Reopens Applications, Citing Lack of Qualified Candidates for Generational Change

Courtesy of Busan International Film Festival

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is currently accepting applications for the festival director position, which has remained vacant since last year. The organizing committee, responsible for Asia's largest film festival, reported that the most recent round of applications, which concluded on Feb. 13, did not yield qualified candidates aligning with the sought-after generational change.

Seven individuals submitted applications, including experts from the movie industry, academia, and the local community. However, none were deemed suitable for the core value of a generational shift, according to a BIFF official. The committee emphasized the urgency of finding the right candidate over adhering to a set schedule. 

▲ Courtesy of Busan International Film FestivalKim Young-deok, a senior programmer at BIFF, has been nominated as the sole candidate for the position of director of BIFF’s Asian Contents & Film Market. This platform serves as a comprehensive space for trading content, spanning films, videos, and intellectual property such as books. Kim brings managerial experience from various BIFF teams, including program management and ACFM marketing.

In a recent development, veteran film director Park Kwang-su was appointed as the BIFF chairperson for a four-year term, succeeding the former chairperson Lee Yong-kwan who resigned abruptly in May 2023 amid internal differences over the festival's management.

The BIFF plans to hold a general meeting in April to finalize the selection of BIFF leadership. Applications for the executive director position will be accepted from March 7 to March 19. The 29th BIFF is scheduled to take place from Oct. 2 to Oct. 11 in Busan.

Sayart 

Sayart, sayart2022@gmail.com