BISFF News
- For the International Competition, 40 films were shortlisted from 3,582 submissions from 113 countries, and 20 films were shortlisted for the Korean Competition. - The films submitted to the Korean Competition were more focused on depicting the alternative side of a person or society while the films submitted to the International Competition were more experimental. - “BISFF has served as a festival and a platform for exhibiting short films from around the world to Korean and international audiences," the selection committee remarked |
The finalists for the Competition Section of the 40th Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF) were announced on February 24th.
The festival's submission period ran from November of last year to January of this year, and 3,582 films from 113 countries
were submitted for the International Competition, which was an increase of 2 countries and 339 films compared to the previous year.
The majority of the films submitted were dramas, which made up 69% of the total. Documentaries, animated films, and experimental films
made up 9%, 9%, and 10% of the total.
The selection committee of the 40th Busan International Short Film Festival, which consists of seventeen members (13 from Korea and 4 from
abroad), narrowed down the entries to 40 films from the International Competition and 20 films for the Korean Competition after a rigorous
selection process that lasted for several months beginning late last year.
The selection committee announced, “In the Korean Competition category this year, dramas made up the majority of submissions,
but the selection committee came across a few distinctive animated films with unique perspectives. The selection committee also saw an
increase in the submissions dealing with their characters' concealed personal emotions, hidden social problems (which short films are best
suited to investigate), as well as an individual or a family's personal issues, or a particular moment when their relationship changes.
This appears to be the result of the COVID19 pandemic having ended and individuals seeking solace by mending ties with their family or
community after their lives were shattered by the unprecedented pandemic.”
The selection committee saw a range of exceptional films submitted to the International Competition that present original
and singular perspectives as well as various aspects of the world discovered through intensive speculation, recreating the
universal values of life. With their limitless subjects and narratives, unique cinematic rhythms and styles, and powerful and stunning
sound design, the selection committee was able to recognize that audiences may experience a range of different cinematic worlds
through these experimental short films.
The submitted films showed that digital film production has both accelerated and segmented, and that films and new media
have been integrated and developed, resulting in the development of a new and remarkable cinematic aesthetic.
“These films, produced in various countries across the globe, will be screened in Busan, recreating different times and places,
analyzing the characteristics of various regions, exploring the challenges that humanity faces as a community, and looking
at varied situations that individuals encounter,” the selection committee said.
The selection committee wrapped up the selection of the competition and sent gratitude and love to all of the filmmakers
who submitted to our festival. Also, they said, “the Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF) takes its job as a platform
for showcasing Korean and foreign short films both domestically and overseas very seriously. BISFF will continue to do
everything in its power to discover short films on various subjects, encourage the creation of creative short films, and exhibit them
to a broader audience. BISFF will continue to be a film festival that shines a light on filmmakers' works, like a lighthouse lighting
gently but steadily in the midst of a huge storm.”
The finalists will be screened at the festival, and a total of ten prizes in the Competition Sections, including the Grand Prix,
the Excellence Award, the Jury Award, and the Audience Award, as well as KRW 26,000,000 in prize money, will be awarded.
Furthermore, because BISFF is Korea's first OSCAR® qualifying film festival, the Grand Prix winners in both the International
and Korean Competitions will be nominated for Academy Awards in the short film categories.
The list of finalists can be found on the festival's official website (www.bisff.org).
The 40th BISFF will take place at the BNK Busan Bank Art Cinema Corner Theater and Busan Cinema Center over the course of
seven days from April 25 to May 1st, 2023. Several commemorativeevents are planned to mark the 40th anniversary,
including special screenings of previous winningfilms, an exhibition showcasing the BISFF's history, and a homecoming day.
attachments: Fimes of Korean & International Competition