One of the most celebrated filmmakers in Asian cinema is heading to Busan. The 31st Busan International Film Festival has officially announced that Zhang Yimou, the Chinese director behind Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern, Hero and Shadow, will serve as Jury President for the festival’s main Competition section. The announcement was made on September 17. The festival runs from October 6 to 15 in the South Korean port city of Busan.
Zhang Yimou will lead a seven-member jury comprising filmmakers, actors and industry figures from across Asia. Joining him are Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan, director of Kaili Blues and Long Day’s Journey Into Night; Japanese director Kei Ishikawa; Vietnamese producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc; Korean director July Jung; Korean actor Moon Choi; and Kazakhstani actress Samal Yeslyamova. The jury brings together perspectives from across the Asian film industry.
The Competition section at BIFF was introduced last year, making this its second edition. The jury will select the winners of the Busan Award from 13 films competing in the section. BIFF introduced the Competition section as part of its evolution from a festival focused primarily on film discovery into a platform with a formal international competition and jury.
Zhang Yimou has won major prizes at all three of Europe’s leading film festivals. His 1987 directorial debut, Red Sorghum, won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. He subsequently won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for The Story of Qiu Ju in 1992 and Not One Less in 1999, while To Live received the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994.
His body of work spans different scales and genres, from the intimate and politically charged rural dramas of his early career to visually expansive films such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower. His more recent work includes One Second and Full River Red. Zhang also served as chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
For Busan, Zhang’s appointment comes as the festival continues to establish its Competition section. The 13 selected films will compete for the Busan Award, with prizes presented across five categories: Best Film, Best Director, Special Jury Prize, Best Actor and Artistic Contribution. The total prize money is KRW 110 million.
The 31st Busan International Film Festival will take place from October 6 to 15 at the Busan Cinema Center and other venues across Busan.
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