Stars attend Kim's last Pusan opening

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Festival News

The 15th Busan International Film Festival 부산국제영화제 got underway last night with fireworks and a red carpet ceremony at the Yachting Centre in Busan.

The festival's opening film was the international premiere of Chinese romance Under the Hawthorn Tree 山楂樹之戀 (2010), attended by the film's director, ZHANG Yimou 張藝謀, and its two young stars, ZHOU Dongyu 周冬雨 and Shawn DOU 竇驍.

Earlier, at the film's afternoon press conference, Zhang had described it as an honour to present the opening film at Kim's last festival, reminiscing how in 1999, his Not One Less 一個都不能少 (1999) had been chosen as the closing film at the festival's 4th edition.

Stars in attendance at the ceremony included AN Seong-gi 안성기 | 安聖基 and GANG Su-yeon 강수연 | 姜受延, both longtime supporters of the festival. Newer stars included WON Bin 원빈 and JEON Do-yeon 전도연 | 全度妍, whose most recent films — The Man from Nowhere 아저씨 (2010) and The Housemaid 하녀 (2010) — screen in this year's festival.

Also turning out was Korean superstar JANG Dong-geon 장동건 | 張東健 who became a father earlier this week and who is making his Hollywood debut in a few weeks with the Korea-American production The Warrior's Way 워리어스 웨이 (2010). Chinese star TANG Wei 湯唯 joined the parade ahead of promotional duty for Late Autumn 만추 (2010), another Korean-US co-venture from the same producer. Hollywood heavyweights in Pusan included Willem DAFOE and Oliver STONE along with Juliette BINOCHE.

Despite the festivities and the 3,000 strong crowd the ceremony had a slightly melancholy air too, a reflection perhaps of the imminent ending of the KIM Dong-ho 김동호 | 金東虎 era.

The highlight of the evening was a song performed by friends of the festival director to honour his fifteenth and final year as head of one of the region's most important festivals. Singers included actors HWANG Jeong-min 황정민 | 黃晸玟 and MUN So-ri 문소리 | 文素利.

Before the opening film, the festival premiered the official festival trailer, an animation that depicts Kim Dong-ho (pictured) arriving on a motorbike to the ceremony, developed from a concept by LEE Chang-dong 이창동 | 李滄東.

The festival runs until 15 Oct and will screen 308 films.

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