The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) has announced the start of its three-year project, 'Asian Genre Films 99.'
This special exhibition is a three-year project that will select a total of 99 films, with 33 films chosen each year, running from this year until the 32nd edition in 2028. Films are selected by region each year, and for this inaugural 30th BIFAN, 33 Korean genre films will be selected.
The project covers theatrical releases from the 30-year period between 1997, when BIFAN first began, and 2026. It aims to capture the 'defining moments' of genre films that have innovated the rules of their genres, unlocked industrial potential, and created trends and tendencies.
The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival stated, "Genre films are the backbone of the film industry and the foundation for various aesthetic experiments. Over the past 30 years, BIFAN has introduced diverse genre films from around the world, and it has specifically served as a place where Asia's genre heritage and talented directors meet their audiences. This project is an attempt to map the landscape of Asian cinema and systematically examine its flow from the perspective of 'genre,' which is BIFAN's identity."
The 33 Korean genre films to be selected this year will include almost all genres, ranging from horror, thriller, mystery, and action to romance, comedy, melodrama, and youth films. The subjects will be films where genre conventions are at the center of the narrative, following or varying from cliches, and utilizing stylized genre techniques. After compiling a list of such works spanning 30 years, the final list of 33 Korean genre films will be completed through discussions between selection committee members and BIFAN programmers.
Another initiative is also being prepared: a list of 11 genre films directed by Korean female directors. In a reality where the majority of genre films are directed by men, this project will create a list of works by female directors and highlight their chronology and significant milestones.
The BIFAN Program Committee stated, "'Asian Genre Films 99' is the most ambitious project in BIFAN's 30-year history and will serve as an opportunity to convey BIFAN's sincerity toward genre films to the audience," adding, "We hope that starting with BIFAN's list, various discussions, perspectives, and lists regarding genre films will be created."
The list of 33 Korean genre films will be announced in May. Based on the completed list, film screenings and Guest Visits (GV) will be held at the 30th BIFAN, which takes place from July 2 to 12. Productive discussions on Korean genre films are also planned through a forum on genre films directed by women.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)