The 29th Busan International Film Festival announced its selections for the Korean Cinema Today - Special Premiere and On Screen sections. Disney+'s Gangnam B-Side, Netflix's Hellbound Season 2, and Song Joong Ki's Bogota: City of the Lost, among others, will be gracing the festival screen.
The Korean Cinema Today - Special Premiere section features the latest and most prominent contemporary Korean commercial films, famous for their mass appeal and significance, including 4 world premieres and 1 Korean premiere, totaling 5 films.
The crime thriller A Girl with Closed Eyes depicts a complex case in which a murderer and a detective (childhood friends) reunite because of the murder case of a bestselling author. The K-movie stars Choi Hee Seo, Kim Min Ha, and Lee Ki Woo in the lead roles.
Director Hur Jin Ho's A Normal Family tells the story of two families, holding differing beliefs, whose lives are upended after they come to know of their children's crimes recorded in CCTV footage. It stars Sol Kyung Gu, Jang Dong Gun, Kim Hee Ae, and Claudia Kim.
Next on the list is Song Joong Ki's Bogota: City of the Lost. Set against the backdrop of Bogotá, Colombia, the K-thriller tells the story of Korean immigrants who, out of desperation, turn to smuggling in this city of last hope. Lee Hee Joon, Kwon Hae Hyo, Jo Hyun Chul and Juana del Río also star in this Kim Sung Je-helmed flick.
Marking the directorial debut of Kim Min Soo, the writer of Netflix's The Merciless, Dirty Money tells the story of two desperate detectives who find themselves entangled in a web of corruption and crime. Myung Deuk (Jung Woo), who takes bribes and covers for gangs to pay for his sick daughter's medical expenses, partners with Dong Hyuk (Kim Dae Myung), who is drowning in gambling debts. When they receive a tip about a Chinese gang transporting a large sum of money, they see an opportunity and decide to steal it for themselves. However, their plan backfires, and they quickly become targets of both the police and the Chinese gang.
Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon Seo and Kim Min Ju's Hear Me: Our Summer, a remake of the Taiwanese film Hear Me, has also garnered much anticipation domestically.
On Screen section encompasses cinema's expanded trends and values by previewing the most anticipated drama series.
Dong Jae, the Good or the Bastard is a spin-off of the popular drama series Stranger. Starring Lee Joon Hyuk and Park Sung Woong, the K-drama is centered around the intriguing prosecutor Seo Dong Jae as new situations and cases unfold before him.
Disney+'s Gangnam B-Side is a thrilling chase crime drama set in the glamorous underbelly of Gangnam. It follows a detective getting back into his game after his daughter's friend goes missing in Seoul's Gangnam area. Gangnam B-Side is a much-anticipated thriller starring Jo Woo Jin, Ji Chang Wook, Ha Yoon Kyung, and BIBI.
Netflix's Hellbound Season 2 will also get its world premiere at the festival. A synopsis by Netflix reads, "In a chaotic world exacerbated by the continuous hellbound decrees, lawyer Min Hye Jin of Sodo, The New Truth Society, and the Arrowheads get entangled anew amidst the sudden resurrections of The New Truth's Chairman Jung Jin Su and Park Jung Ja."
Way Back Love tells the story of Jung Hee Wan, who, having lost the will to live, encounters her ex, who is now a grim reaper. Actors Gong Myung and Kim Min Ha will be starring as the leads.
Korean Cinema Today - Special Premiere Section Selections
On Screen Section Selections
The 29th Busan International Film Festival's event will be held for ten days from October 2-11 at the Busan Cinema Center.