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Pusan International Film Festival east side story —Busan 01 01 Sign at the entrance to Busan aquarium Preface 02 The PIFF Pavilion was fashioned from a Hollywood and the rest of shipping container, apt for Busan’s the world are paying close status as one of the world’s largest por ts attention to the films coming 03 Thai actors Sajee Apiwong and Ananda out of Taiwan, South Korea Everingham and Japan. Even Vietnam 04 Haeundae beach – festival events take is getting in on the act. place in the hotels on its stretch Monocle takes a seat at Korea’s Pusan International Film Festival. writer Alicia Kirby photographer Eric Gregory Powell Juliette Binoche is doing the conga and Korean actress Kim Kot-bi is raising a glass and saying gun bae! with a French arte exec by a shark tank at an aquarium party. it’s all in a night of networking at asia’s largest film festival in Korea’s port 02 03 city of Busan (formerly Pusan) in a scorching, sunny october. in its 15 years, not only has Pusan international Film Festival ( piFF ) introduced Korean talent to the global film market and festival cir - cuit, but it has also become a meeting place for heavyweight producers, distrib - utors and financiers from east andWest. “Up until 1997, only four Korean films had ever screened at Cannes. since the Pusan Film Festival started in 1995, at least five to 10 films have been invited each year. then in 2004, director Park Chan-wook received the Grand Prix for Oldboy ,” says the ever-suited festival di - rector Kim dong-ho, who cuts a busy figure around the lavish hotel lobbies on Haeundae beach where deals are made. the behemoths of the asian film in - dustry are Korea, Japan and China; at piFF they are courted for their financial clout 04 — 01 Taiwanese actress Yang Kuei-mei 06 Kini Kim, senior vice president CJ top films at piFF Pusan International Film Festival 02 Film festival visitors outside the Entertainment PIFF pavilion 07 Audience at a Q&A session with the Korea: Poetry 03 Festival-goers and directors take a cast of ‘Breathless’ by up-and-coming Director: Lee Chang-dong break at the PIFF Pavilion director Yang Ik-joon A moving story about the 04 Taiwanese director Arvin Chen 08 Film festival director Kim Dong-ho onset of Alzheimer’s in a 05 Japanese films being promoted at PIFF mother whose son is involved in a gang rape. Japan: Cold Fish Director: Shion Sono Pipped to be a cult export, this gore-fest revolves around tropical fish retailers. China: Aftershock Director: Feng Xiaogang Highest-grossing domestic movie ever made in China follows a huge earthquake. Taiwan: Reign of Assassins 01 Directors: Su Chao-pin and John Woo (co-director) Michelle Yeoh stars in this blockbuster action thriller set in ancient China. and artistic talent. Big-gun Korean direc - Vietnam: Bi, Don’t be Afraid tors such as Bong Joon-ho and Kim Jee- Director: Phan Dang Di woon have made their names abroad with A look into the life of a six- high-concept films such as The Host and year-old whose family life is turned upside down when The Good,The Bad,TheWeird .this year '( his sick grandfather returns. Assassins – the latest film from prolific Japanese director takashi Miike, who 02 06 07 made his name with Audition – had buyers the player Film Festival hit, Au Revoir Taipei . scrabbling to the asian Film Market’s sea - – CJ entertainment Co-productions with Chinese compa - cloud hotel to meet its team. these direc - nies are becoming a popular way for pro - tors guarantee bums on seats in an asian “CJ Entertainment is the biggest ducers to get into bed with a country that entertainment company in Korea,” says market where revenue is reliant on box senior vice president, Kini Kim. Founded by has potentially over a billion viewers. “the office sales. “in Korea 90 per cent of rev - Samsung, CJ started life as a confectionery Chinese government only allows 20-odd enue comes from theatrical releases, as the giant, much like its rival Lotte. In 1998 the films into their country a year on a rev - DVD market is virtually non-existent,” says firm established Korea’s first multiplexes and turkish, iranian, american, Japanese and enue-sharing basis where box-office tak - Patrick Frater, Ceo and co-founder of opened screens in LA and China in 2010. CJ Korean investors, with a stellar Japanese ings for the foreign producers are on a is aggressively expanding in Asia, with a joint Film Business asia. venture in Japan pushing local production cast including Hidetoshi Nishijima, star sliding scale of 13 to 17 per cent. this With long-term investment in mind, and have signed a deal with Beijing-based of takeshi Kitano’s Dolls . agreement was negotiated between China eyes are also on countries with less pres - Bona to make two films a year, including a Black and White is typical of big- and the Us studios in late 1994/95. if the ence in the industry, such asVietnam and remake of What Women Want . money asian co-productions for 2011. film, however, is a local production or Malaysia, who are both making moves to 03 04 thetaiwanese and Chinese joint effort is Chinese co-production, the box-office put themselves on the map. Vietnam and this – an international tax rebate and loca - based on a popular tV series. “it’s one of share of the producer can be upwards of Cambodia launched their first interna - tion scout’s beauty contest where asian the biggest action movies coming out of 30 to 40 per cent,” says Michael JWerner, tional film festivals within a week of Pusan nations showcase their talents for interna - asia, with a budget of $12m – a whole chairman of Fortissimo Films and adviser shutting its doors. With significant gov - tional producers. Boeing 747 will be reassembled intaiwan to piFF and board member of singapore’s ernment support Malaysia is setting its aside from galas and gallons of mak - for the film’s set design,” says producer inaugural screensingapore in 2011. sights even higher and developing a film geolli rice wine, the nine-day festival and Ceo of double edge entertainment, one of the first Us studios to wise up hub in iskandar, across the border from forums, meetings and deals feature one steve Chicorel. the film has another to China’s way of doing things was Fox, singapore, where an outpost of the UK’s buzzword – co-production. as the market function – it will hopefully move taiwan which set up a production unit there in Pinewood studios will open in 2013. becomes globalised, asian countries are away from its long-term association with 2009. “Local production is a new growth due to generous tax rebates,thailand realising their homegrown film industries art-house cinema. star directors such as area for us,” says tony safford, executive is now a major hub for foreign produc - are too small and that interdependence is tsai Ming-liang of The Wayward Cloud vice president of Worldwide Fox acquisi - tions. the sequel to hit Us comedy The profitable and practical. “Co-production starring actressyang Kuei-mei have been tions. “as local cultures emerge, they want Hangover is being filmed there. this has means great tax rebates and guarantees critically lauded by western audiences but to see their own culture on film – a Japan - rubbed some in the industry up the wrong distribution in multiple territories,” says haven’t necessarily been hits at home. ese kid wants to see stories about Japanese way, including thai actor and producer Larry Brownell, Ceo of the association of “the 1980s saw a new wave of di - kids, not american kids. Cultural expres - ananda everingham: “i feel like the local Film Commissioners international. rectors like Hou Hsiao-hsien and edward sion is important as an interest and as a government hasn’t got involved enough in iranian director amir Naderi’s new yang who were popular with european business medium. the strength of asian local talent and is focusing too much on film, Cut , is a great example of a multi - audiences but were too art-house for the economies is often at the exclusion of Us incentives for international production.” national production. it just finished domestic market,” says arvin Chen, the firms, so our entry into them is a chal - Much action at the fair is focused around shooting intokyo and is co-produced by taiwanese-american director of Berlin lenge.” Fox is co-financing next year’s 05 08 — — Pusan International Film Festival expert opinion Bey Logan is former Asian vice president of The Weinstein Company and currently runs Hong Kong Production company B&E productions. He tells us about the rising predicted hit, Na Hong-jin’s Yellow Sea , Chinese film industry. Goran Topalovic, co- Jason Chae, president and founder of the New York producer, Mirovision with Korean producer showbox. “China is developing the Asian Film Festival “Everyone here is tracking although asian co-productions sound second biggest theatrical “In a region that confidently the film Yellow Sea and ideal, the reality is more problematic. market outside of the US looks towards the future, its director, who also did Because of Japan’s previously aggressive and doesn’t need the Hollywood is no longer the The Chaser. ” military past, feelings towards the coun - western film market only game in town.” anymore. If Chinese films are try within asia are ambivalent. during a an international hit that’s just speech at Pusan’s asian Film Policy a bonus as they know they Forum, chairman of the Japan Film can survive on their own Commission Ken terawaki recognised market alone.

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