A programmer's post from this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has sparked outrage in the film industry.
The programmer, who is in charge of the Asian film section, posted a lengthy message on their SNS on the 17th, starting with the question, “Do programmers watch all the films?”
They wrote, “During times like these, when I’m living in a hell of screeners without a weekend after deadlines, I honestly can’t watch films in their entirety,” adding, “Even if I watch ten films a day, there isn’t enough physical time to do so.”
They continued, “So sometimes I watch at 1.5x speed, or even 2x speed, and there are times when I have to skip parts. Depending on the genre, sometimes I can get a rough estimate after watching about ten minutes.” They also mentioned, “There are many films where a seemingly trivial line can be crucial, or where the film gains momentum in the latter half, so I try to make an effort to watch them until the end.”
They expressed, “Because nearly half of the submissions come in just before the deadline, I wish that the works that are ready could be submitted earlier, but I understand the desire to refine editing and post-production right up until the submission.” They then added, “I also hashtagged ‘I want to see K-Pop Demons Hunters.’”
While this post seems to reflect the personal struggles of an individual amidst a demanding job, it has been criticized for being thoughtless, especially as the film festival is approaching and the industry is experiencing a severe dark period.
Moreover, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Busan International Film Festival, making it a significant year. However, due to the overwhelming competition from Netflix in terms of content volume, popularity, and public interest, there are deep internal concerns even regarding the selection of opening films, leading to reactions that the post is demoralizing, unprofessional, and inappropriate.
One director stated, “As soon as I saw this post, I was left speechless by the sense of powerlessness,” adding, “While one person's writing cannot represent everything, it is disheartening that even insiders lack affection for the content and responsibility for the event, releasing works that are like their children.”
The 30th Busan International Film Festival will open on September 17 and run until the 26th at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan.
