BIFF to premiere film starring late K-pop star Sulli

“Dear Jinri” capturing the late K-pop star Sulli’s final interview will be unveiled at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), according to the festival’s press release on Tuesday. BIFF is slated from Oct. 4 to 13 this year.

A documentary starring the late K-pop star Sulli, left, will be revealed at this year's Busan International Film Festival [JOONGANG PHOTOS, BUSAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL]

“Dear Jinri” capturing the late K-pop star Sulli’s final interview will be unveiled at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), according to the festival’s press release on Tuesday.

The movie was originally set for release as a Netflix original, under the title “Persona Sulli” and was filmed in 2019, but got cancelled after Sulli took her own life in October of the same year.

Directed by Jung Yoon-suk, it will be included in the BIFF Documentary Showcase category.

BIFF 2023 will be hosted by actor Song Kang-ho, with Chinese actor Chow Yun Fat receiving the Asian Filmmaker Award. Both actors are expected to attend the festival in person.

A passerby walks in front of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) logo by the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae District, eastern Busan, on May 24. [NEWS1]

Two signature Chow Yun Fat films, “A Better Tomorrow” (1986) and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), and his latest feature, “One More Chance” will be screened as part of the Special Programs section.

"BIFF is honored to give this award to Chow," program director Nam Dong-chul, currently sitting as a temporary festival director, said during an online press conference on Tuesday.

Poster of the film "One More Chance" starring Chow Yun Fat [DISTRIBUTION WORKSHOP]

Also part of the Special Program is a section shedding light on Korean American directors and actors, and the burgeoning Indonesian movie industry.

Six films made by or starring Korean Americans including Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” Kogonada’s “Columbus,” Justin Chon’s “Jamojaya,” Lee Issac Chung’s “Minari,” Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” and Aneesh Chaganty’s “Searching," will be screened at the festival. Chung, Cho and Chon are set to attend in person.

BIFF will be screening 12 Indonesian films, five of which are short, buzzworthy films by young, emerging directors. The list includes Khozy Rizal’s “Basri & Salma in a Never-Ending Comedy,” M. Reza Fahriyansyah’s “Dancing Colors,” Tumpal Tampubolon’s “The Sea Calls for Me,” Bayu Prihantoro Filemon’s “Vania on Lima Street” and Niratha Bas Diwangkara’s “Where the Wild Frangipanis Grow."

“Indonesia recently gained a strong momentum after producing numerous captivating films and experiencing a remarkable resurgence,” said BIFF in Tuesday's press release.

The opening film of the festival is Jang Kun-jae's "Because I Hate Korea" and the closing film is Ning Hao's "The Movie Emperor."

Other films slated for screening at the BIFF include Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” David Fincher’s “The Killer,” Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Poor Things,” Ken Loach’s “The Old Oak,” Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster,” Luc Besson’s “Dogman,” Bertrand Bonello’s “The Beast,” and Thomas Cailley’s “The Animal Kingdom.”

BIFF is slated to take place from Oct. 4 to 13. A total of 209 films from 69 countries have been invited.

BIFF was recently embroiled in a controversy when former festival director Huh Moon-young resigned in May after Cho Jong-kook was named as managing director of the festival. The position was effectively of the same rank as Huh's, and its responsibilities included managing the festival budget, personnel, and administrative processes.

Although Huh had not specified the reason for his resignation, many saw it as a protest against Cho's appointment. Some viewed Cho's appointment as a move by administration to put a check on BIFF.

The crisis came to a sudden halt in late June, with President Lee Yong-kwan resigning with immediate effect and Managing Director Cho Jong-kook dismissed on the same day.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]