Largest Ever PIFF Draws Curtains

The 12th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF) featured ``Evangelion 1.0: Your Are (Not) Alone'' Friday, closing what has grown to become Asia's largest film festival after nine days of fickle weather and ambivalent responses. This year's edition featured a diversified program and promising pan-Asian outlook -- but rapid progress is almost always marked by severe growing pains, and poor organization failed to help things run smoothly.

``Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone'' was the 271st film ending PIFF's longest lineup of movies, though it was four less than the originally announced number. Representing 64 countries, the listing included 65 world premieres.

Online ticket sales for ``Evangelion'' had sold out in a matter of minutes, and the Japanese animation finally made its international debut in the packed outdoor theater on Haeundae beach. Written and directed by Hideaki Anno, it is the first of four films released in the ``Rebuild of Evangelion'' tetralogy based on the original TV cartoon ``Neon Genesis Evangelion.'' In the movie, half of the human population has perished and the fate of the world rests in the hands of a 14-year-old boy.

``The new film version reinterprets the original series from 10 years ago,'' said Tsurumaki Kazuya, one of the co-directors of the movie during a press conference in Busan, Thursday. The ending is most likely to change as well, according the director.

A groundbreaking total of 198,603 people visited Busan as of official tallies from Friday morning, a remarkable improvement from last year's total of about 162,000. Its improved ticketing system, which had previously been limited by membership, enabled more moviegoers to attend screenings, though 14 were cancelled to the disappointment of many.

The most contested talk of the town was the alleged mistreatment and early departure of Ennio Morricone, the world-renowned maker of timeless scores from ``Cinema Paradiso.'' With the sudden arrival of three contending presidential candidates, Morricone's red carpet entrance was pushed back during the opening ceremony. The 79-year-old composer had to remain standing for a very long time, and local media reports suggest that the festival staff did not treat him with respect.

Morricone did not show up for the hand-printing ceremony later on that evening. PIFF organizers, on the other hand, maintain that he left the country according to plan.

PIFF, at this point, risks degenerating into a tabloid parade focusing on skin-bearing actresses rather than a mecca for cineastes and cinephiles.

Many fans who flocked to Busan were disappointed to find several of the outdoor events cancelled due to the bad weather. The venue for the Open Talk session with directors Kwak Kyung-taek and Feng Xiaogang, for example, changed at the last minute without prior notice, confusing many fans and reporters. Another embarrassing incident was when PIFF's central facility, the PIFF Pavilion, was unable to withstand the heavy rain during the course of the festival.

Fine-tuning the overall hosting quality of events is PIFF's homework assignment, especially making sure things don't get lost in translation. Several foreign reporters were seen leaving the press conference for the opening film ``Assembly,'' which was offered only in Korean and Chinese. But the bilingual interpretation itself was not very efficiently carried out either.

Another disappointment was when a PIFF staff member served as middleman during superstar Michelle Yeoh's talk with the press. PIFF is no longer a local event, and as much as it is receiving more and more international spotlight, it should pay closer attention to such important details.

However, all is not gloomy for Korea's leading cinema feast. Just as Yeoh praised PIFF as the ``Cannes of Asia,'' Pusan is embracing internationality and becoming an important platform for Asian filmmakers and actors to work together.

The festival's tribute to Taiwanese director Edward Yang, for example, was most timely, and its special section spotlighting South Asian films was wonderful. Films presented in the ``Three Colors of Malaysia'' section enjoyed phenomenal popularity, and many disappointed moviegoers had to turn their back from sold-out ticket booths.

Busan seems to be showing promise in terms of business. The second Asian Film Market was carried out in a systematic fashion, giving way to new potentials in terms of inter-Asian projects. It was announced, for example, that Korea's Lee Jae-han would direct the remake of Hong Kong action flick ``The Killer.''

The newly launched forum Asia Pacific Actors Network (APAN) displayed huge growth as a forum for facilitating co-productions. In addition, the Star Summit Asia, held for the second time this year, garnered much attention as six Asian stars from Korea, Japan, China, Thailand and the United States convened. This shows that local talent is no longer a local matter.

One must take into account that PIFF is a very young film festival (Cannes, for example, was launched in 1939). Its quick growth is remarkable, but organizers must remember that bigger does not always mean better, and should focus on tightening its core program to find its own color.

But the future seems bright for Pusan, especially given its impressive vision of pan-Asia cooperation. It is hoped that this year's operational mistakes will enable PIFF to grow and enjoy full-fledged maturity as an international event in the years to come.

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Source : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2007/10/135_11832.html