Bucheon: The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is set to open next month, featuring a record-breaking 321 films as the annual festival celebrates its 30th edition, organizers announced on Tuesday. BIFAN will be held across various venues in Bucheon, located west of Seoul, from July 2 to 12.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the festival will present a diverse array of 321 features and shorts from 50 countries, including 93 world premieres. Actress Chang Mi-hee, chairperson of the BIFAN organizing committee, highlighted the festival's expansive lineup designed to allow viewers to experience the power of cinema and foster deep emotional connections.
This year's festival will kick off with "Blades of the Guardian," an action film by Yuen Woo-ping starring martial arts legend Jet Li. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, BIFAN will introduce a new section titled "Asian Genre Films 99," a three-year initiative aimed at exploring the landscape of Asian genre cinema.
In commemoration of both the film festival's 30th anniversary and the 140th anniversary of South Korea-France diplomatic relations, a special section will be dedicated to French sci-fi films. Additionally, the festival will spotlight the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, featuring over 30 films that incorporate AI elements in both competitive and non-competitive categories.
The festival will also utilize extended reality technology in the "Beyond Reality" section to offer an immersive experience for attendees, as per the organizers.