Busan Internation Film Festival (BIFF) announced its lineup yesterday, 4 September, for its 24th edition in October. This year the festival has 303 short and feature-length films from 85 countries on the program, playing at five cinemas in the city of South Korea. Among the invitations, 120 films, including 97 full-length movies, will be at BIFF for world premieres. And the 2019 lineup contains premieres of thirteen feature film and one short film, and three classics in a showcase. Find out about the films below.
SECTION: A WINDOW ON ASIAN CINEMA
Aadhaar
Director: Suman Ghosh
CAST: Vineet Kumar Singh, Raghubir Yadav, Saurabh Shukla, Sanjay Mishra.
The National Award-winning filmmaker Suman Ghosh makes his debut in Hindi cinema with this film. Aadhaar is a comedy-drama centred around a common man (Vineet Kumar Singh) who is the first in his village to apply for an Aadhaar card, as he gets caught in the bureaucratic red tape in the process of enrolling his name in the scheme. The film is produced by Drishyam Films and Jio Studios.
This is a world premiere.
Bombay Rose
Director: Gitanjali Rao
CAST: Cyli Vivek Khare, Amit Deondi, Gargi Shitole
Bombay Rose is inspired by the romance of Bollywood and told through exquisite hand-painted animation created by award-winning animator Gitanjali Rao. Based on true events, and painted frame by frame and woven delicately through music, a red rose brings together three tales of impossible loves. Love between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy. Love between two women. Love of an entire city for its Bollywood stars.
The film has had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, is also playing at Toronto Film Festival, and will play at the London Film Festival. Watch the trailer here.
Khanaur | Bitter Chestnut
Director: Gurvinder Singh
This film is an account of Singh’s time in the town of Bir in Himachal Pradesh taking a look at migration and reverse migration in Bir, Barot and Baragraan through the lives of real people. Gurvinder Singh’s Chauthi Koot and Anhe Gorhey Ka Daan premiered at Cannes Film Festival.
The Pahari, English and Hindi language film makes a world premiere.
Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare
Director: Alankrita Shrivastava
CAST: Konkona Sen Sharma, Bhumi Pednekar, Vikrant Massey, Amol Parashar, Kubbra Sait, Amol Parashar and Karan Kundra.
The film by the director of Lipstick Under My Burkha follows two cousins (Sensharma and Pednekar) from the suburbs of Delhi, who lead secret lives.
This is a world premiere.
Jallikattu
Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery
CAST: Chemban Vinod Jose, Antony Varghese, Sabu Abdusamad
The inhabitants of a village find themselves increasingly addicted to red meat, placing both butchers and abattoirs in high demand. In a bootleg slaughterhouse, a buffalo fights its would-be executioners and escapes, wrecking a local neighbourhood as it flees. Jallikattu takes you down a thrilling ride into the depths of human bloodlust and the darkness of the heart, where the rampaging buffalo is hunted by a violent mob. This is the seventh film by veteran Malayalam filmmaker Pellissery, whose last two films Ee Ma Yau and Angamaly Diaries have found cult fame.
The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and will play at the London Film Festival.
Maadathy, An Unfairy Tale
Director: Leena Manimekalai
“Nobodies do not have gods; they are gods.” The film tells the story of a young girl who grew up in Puthirai Vannar caste group and how she came to be immortalised as their local deity, Maadathy.
This is a world premiere.
Iewduh | Market
Director: Pradip Kurbah
The film follows the stories of various people from Ïewduh, the largest market in the Northeast’s Khasi Hills and serves as a melting pot of cultures, religions and communities.
This is a world premiere.
Nirvana Inn
Director: Vijay Jayapal
CAST: Adil Hussain, Sandhya Mridul and Rajshri Deshpande.
A boatman capsizes his boat, killing all his passengers and survives. Wracked with guilt, he flees to the mountains and becomes the caretaker of a Himalayan resort, Nirvana Inn, and is shocked to see his victims checking in.
The horror film will have its world premiere at the festival.
Roam Rome Mein
Director: Tannishtha Chatterjee
CAST: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Valentina Corti.
The film follows Raj, who travels to Rome to look for his missing sister. Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee makes her filmmaking debut with this film.
This is a world premiere.
Raahgir | The Wayfarers
Director: Goutam Ghose
CAST: Adil Hussain, Tillotama Shome and Neeraj Kabi.
National Award-winning Bengali director Goutam Ghose’s latest is a story of two strangers, perpetually on the fringes of survival.
SECTION: OPEN CINEMA
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
CAST: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, and Rohit Saraf.
This is the incredible true love story of a couple – Aditi and Niren Chaudhary – spanning 25 years, told through the eyes of their spunky teenage daughter – Aisha, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Based on the true story and book, My Little Epiphanies, of Aisha Chaudhary, who was a young Indian author and motivational speaker with pulmonary fibrosis who passed away at the age of nineteen. The book was published one day before her death. This is Shonali Bose’s fourth outing, her previous being Amu (2005), Chittagong (2012) and Margarita With A Straw (2014).
The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and will play at the London Film Festival.
99 Songs
Director: Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy
CAST: Ehan, Manisha Koirala, Edilsy Vargas, Lisa RAY, Ranjit Barot and Tenzin Dalha.
The film follows the journey of self-discovery of a struggling singer who dreams of being a music composer. This marks A R Rahman‘s debut as a producer and writer, who is also the composer of the film.
This is a world premiere.
SECTION: NEW CURRENTS
Just Like That
Director: Kislay
CAST: Mohini Sharma, Harish Khanna, Sadhna Singh
Mrs Sharma is forced to remain a faithful and wise old widow after her husband′s death. But Mrs Sharma has no intention to do so. Will she be successful on her journey of self-discovery to find herself and a new identity?
This is a world premiere.
SECTION: WIDE ANGLE (SHORT FILM)
Knock Knock Knock
Director: Sudhanshu Saria
The film follows the relationship between a Nepali boy and his grandfather. This is the only Indian short at the festival.Sudhanshu Saria made his feature debut with Loev.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
“Gaze and Memories – Asia’s Leading Women Filmmakers”
This section will showcase a retrospective of three renowned female Asian filmmakers. Along with Trinh T. Minh-ha from Vietnam and Yasmin Ahmad from Malayasia, Deepa Mehta’s elements trilogy: Fire (1996), Water, and Earth, are playing this year.
This year’s festival will run for 10 days from 3 – 12 October 2019. For more information on ticketing, screening schedules and other events, go the official BIFF website here.