Filipino Director Brillante Mendoza’s film has been chosen for competition at the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea. The festival, which will take place from October 4 to 13, recently announced its selection of films for the New Currents and Jiseok competitions, both focusing on Asian cinema.
Mendoza’s film, titled “Moro,” has been included in the Jiseok section of the festival. The Jiseok section was established by BIFF in 2022 as a tribute to the late program director Kim Jiseok and awards the Kim Jiseok Award to two films. This is not Mendoza’s first recognition at BIFF, as he won the Kim Jiseok Award in 2021 for his film “Gensan Punch.”
In addition to “Moro,” the Jiseok section will feature nine other films: “24 Hours with Gaspar” by Yosep Anggi Noen from Indonesia, “At the End of the Film” by Ahn Sunkyoung from Korea, “Blesser” by Lee Sangcheol from Korea, “Bride Kidnapping” by Mirlan Abdykalykov from Kyrgyzstan, “Doi Boy” by Nontawat Numbenchapol from Thailand/ Cambodia, “Ichiko” by Toda Akihiro from Japan, “Paradise” by Prasanna Vithanage from Sri Lanka/ India, “Something Like an Autobiography” by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki from Bangladesh, and “The Moon” by Ishii Yuya from Japan.
Meanwhile, the New Currents section, which is a main competition at BIFF, showcases first or second features by up-and-coming Asian filmmakers. Two films will be honored with the New Currents Award. The ten films selected for this section include “After the Fever” by Yamamoto Akira from Japan, “Borrowed Time” by Choy Ji from China, “Heritage” by Lee Jong-su from Korea, “Oasis of Now” by Chia Chee Sum from Malaysia/ Singapore/ France, “September 1923” by Mori Tatsuya from Japan, “Solids by the Seashore” by Patiparn Boontarig from Thailand, “That Summer’s Lie” by Sohn Hyun-lok from Korea, “The Spark” by Rajesh S. Jala from India, “The Stranger” by Biplob Sarkar from Bangladesh, and “The Wrestler” by Iqbal H. Chowdhury from Bangladesh/ Canada.
The Busan International Film Festival has long been celebrated as one of Asia’s most prestigious film events, and its selection of Brillante Mendoza’s “Moro” demonstrates the continued recognition of Filipino talent on the international stage.
