Actor Lee Byung-hun has become the star of the BIFAN Actor Special Exhibition.
The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) announced that it has selected Lee Byung-hun as the star of this year's Actor Special Exhibition. The title of this special exhibition is 'The Master: Lee Byung-hun'.
Lee Byung-hun, who has showcased his outstanding acting skills across various genres both on and off the screen, is undoubtedly a representative actor of the Korean film industry and a globally recognized artist. This is the reason why the special exhibition is titled 'The Master: Lee Byung-hun'.
'The Master: Lee Byung-hun' will accompany the audience with various programs. From July 4 to 13, during a total of 8 nights and 9 days, Lee Byung-hun will engage with the audience through screenings of his representative works that highlight his acting career, as well as exhibitions of photos and memorabilia, press conferences, mega talks, commemorative booklets and merchandise, and stage greetings. He is also expected to walk the red carpet at the BIFAN opening ceremony.
This year's Actor Special Exhibition will feature 10 films that reflect Lee Byung-hun's 30-year acting career. The films include 'Joint Security Area (JSA)' (2000), 'Bungee Jumping of Their Own' (2001), 'A Bittersweet Life' (2005), 'That Summer' (2006), 'I Saw the Devil' (2010), 'Masquerade' (2012), 'The Insider' (2015), 'The Fortress' (2017), 'The Man Standing Next' (2019), and 'Concrete Utopia' (2023).
Lee Byung-hun has received praise as an actor who "breathes life into his characters" through his roles such as Sergeant Lee Soo-hyuk in 'Joint Security Area (JSA)', Seo In-woo in 'Bungee Jumping of Their Own' who moved audiences with his delicate and emotional performance, Kim Sun-woo in 'A Bittersweet Life' showcasing a strong noir style, and Yoon Seok-young in 'That Summer' who depicted the bittersweetness of first love and the weight of time.
He also opened the path of an acting master through his roles that traversed the boundaries of humanity and madness, delivering intense shocks as Kim Soo-hyun in 'I Saw the Devil', portraying two completely opposite characters with both comedic and tragic elements as Gwanghae/Ha-seon in 'Masquerade', and expressing the pent-up frustrations of a discarded loser as Ahn Sang-goo in 'The Insider'.
Through his inner performance filled with anguish and determination, he delivered a profound resonance as Choi Myung-gil in 'The Fortress', showcased the epicenter and indicators of loyalty and gunfire towards the highest power as Kim Kyu-pyeong in 'The Man Standing Next', and presented a new face of dystopian narrative as Kim Young-tak in 'Concrete Utopia', continuing his wild run.
He has also gained recognition overseas, including in Japan and the United States. He made a strong presence in Hollywood blockbusters such as the 'G.I. Joe' series (2009, 2013), 'RED: The Legend' (2013), 'Terminator Genisys' (2015), 'Misconduct' (2016), and 'The Magnificent Seven' (2016). He has achieved notable success on the global stage as a Korean actor and has once again reached the top through the Netflix series 'Squid Game'.
Lee Byung-hun has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Commendation at the 2nd Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards, six Daejong Film Awards (34th, 38th, 49th, 53rd, 56th, 59th), eight Baeksang Arts Awards (32nd, 39th, 42nd, 46th, 47th, 52nd, 55th, 56th), five Blue Dragon Film Awards (22nd, 30th, 34th, 37th, 44th), and three Korean Film Critics Association Awards (25th, 36th, 40th), totaling over 80 awards for his representative works in film and drama. He was awarded the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2006 and won the Best Actor award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2021, solidifying his status as one of the world's top actors.
BIFAN programmer Lee Jung-yeop stated, “Lee Byung-hun is the true face of Korean cinema, freely crossing the boundaries of genres and showing new aspects in each work,” explaining the reason for his selection. He added, “I hope for much interest and participation in this special exhibition that will provide a diverse perspective on his acting world.”
Since 2017, BIFAN has been conducting the 'Actor Special Exhibition' by selecting contemporary representative actors leading the current state of Korean cinema. Previous exhibitions have featured Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Hye-soo, Seol Kyung-gu, Choi Min-sik, and Son Ye-jin.
The 29th BIFAN will be held from July 3 to 13 in the Bucheon area.
