KCrush BIFF23 – Interview with Park Sun Young Programmer for Asian Cinema, Busan International Film Festival
October 20, 2023 | 1670 Visits
In this interview, Carolyn speaks with Park Sun Young, Programmer of Asian Cinema at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), about the importance of promoting Asian cinema at international festivals for local and visiting international guests and industry insiders.
As a programmer Park and her team have a very difficult job of sifting through hundreds of submissions each year to decide on their final selections for platforms such as the A Window on Asian Cinema platform, the New Currents platform which highlights first and second films of up-and-coming filmmakers like Pawo Choyning Dorji (The Monk and the Gun), and Yeon Je-gwang whose film The Guest premiered at the festival.
One other category Park references was the Jiseok platform, a competition program which was created in honor of the late Kim Ji-seok. Kim, who passed away in 2017, was the Deputy Director, an executive programmer and one of the founders of BIFF.
Park also spoke about how the similarities in the history of all Asian countries contributes to the universality and relatability of the stories presented, making them compelling for not only audiences, but also programmers like herself.
Despite her academic background focused on the comedic film history of Korean cinema, Park is especially drawn to films with more dramatic themes as a festival programmer which makes for an interesting perspective, and a great example of how film is a medium of storytelling brings out new sides to those involved in all aspects of the film industry, including festivals.
Carolyn Hinds
Freelance Critic, Journalist & Podcaster
African American Film Critics Association Member, Tomatometer-Approved Critic
Co-Host & Producer So Here’s What Happened! Podcast
Bylines at http://Authory.com/CarolynHinds
Twitter & Instagram: @CarrieCnh12
Sean Dulake has a way of making you feel like you already know him. Whether he’s charming audiences on Korean primetime dramas or pulling fans into the whirlwind fantasy of Dramaworld, the actor, writer, and producer has built a career that blends... Read More
On August 29, 2025, the world will be able to tune into Apple TV+ and binge KPOPPED, a new competition series unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Artists from around the world will collaborate to reimagine one of their chart-topping songs,... Read More
Rising K-pop newcomer Hwina is captivating listeners with her poetic lyricism and emotional depth. After debuting with hits like "Like a Tree", she quickly became a name to watch, not only for her delicate yet expressive vocals but also for her... Read More
We know the five stages of grief to be denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, but what if there’s a sixth unnamed emotion? Regret. Written by Zou Wan-Zhen (Women in Taipei), and directed by Tsai Chai-ying (The Remains), the new... Read More
During the 25th annual Jeonju International Film Festival, award-winning South Korean actress and singer, Lee Jung-hyun made her directorial debut with the dramatic short Toe-Tapping Tunes, alternatively titled Going to See the Flowers, in which... Read More
When describing sound or music that evokes feelings of being uneasy, overwhelmed, confused, or scared we call it noise. Noise connotes something that’s undefined in a way that music and sound aren’t, and in his award winning feature Noise,... Read More
For her debut feature length documentary Colorless, Odorless, which screened as an official selection at the 2025 Jeonju International Film Festival, experimental visual artist and filmmaker Lee Eunhee investigates the toxic and deadly nature of the... Read More
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about Lemiti U and this very personal project. Below are the responses to your interview questions: 1. Can you introduce Lemiti U & the story behind its formation? Lemiti U was born from the creative urge to... Read More
Is there any singular moment in our lives that is ever truly without meaning? In his debut feature film Ulysses, Japanese filmmaker Uwagawa Hikari seeks to find this out through seemingly random improvised sequence of events and discussions... Read More
From gritty lyricism to turbo-charged beats, SC4F has quickly carved out his name in Korea’s rising underground hip-hop scene. Known for his high-octane “Twin Turbo” series and dynamic collaborations with MADII, SC4F continues to push sonic... Read More
Leave a Reply