The 29th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Asia¡¯s largest cinematic event, successfully concluded its 10-day run on Oct. 11, beginning with the grand opening ceremony on Oct. 2.

The event kicked off at 6 p.m. at the outdoor screen of Busan Cinema Center in Busan¡¯s Haeundae-gu District, hosted by actors Park Boyoung and Ahn Jaehong. The opening ceremony was livestreamed on Naver TV starting at 6 p.m.

This year¡¯s gala featured 224 films from 63 countries, screened at 26 screens across five theaters: CGV Centum City, Lotte Cinema Centum City, Megabox Busan Theater and the theater of the Korean Film Council.

The opening movie was the Netflix historical epic ¡°Uprising¡± by director Kim Sang-man and producer Park Chan-wook, who also co-wrote the screenplay. This film marked the first time a project from an over-the-top platform was selected to open BIFF.

Notable guests this year included Kiyoshi Kurosawa, named BIFF¡¯s Asian Filmmaker of the Year, who showcased his works ¡°Serpent¡¯s Path¡± and ¡°Cloud,¡± both released this year; Miguel Gomes, director of ¡°Joyful Melancholy¡±; and Ann Hui, an iconic figure in the Hong Kong New Wave cinema.

Other sideline events included ¡°open talks¡± with directors and cast members of invited films, as well as ¡°outdoor stage greetings.¡±

During the opening ceremony, the winners of the Asian Filmmaker of the Year and the Korean Cinema Awards, recognizing individuals who have contributed to the development of Asian cinema and the global spread of Korean movies, were announced. This year also saw the introduction of the Documentary Audience Award to promote the documentary genre.

Running alongside the festival was the 19th annual Asian Contents & Film Market, a venue for trading global cinematic and video content, as well as intellectual property rights, which took place from Oct. 5-8 at Exhibition Hall 2 of the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO).

BIFF wrapped up its festivities on Oct. 11 with the closing film ¡°Spirit World.¡±