The 29th Busan International Film Festival opened Wednesday night, October 2, with a tribute to late Parasite actor Lee Sun Kyun. The audience solemnly fell quiet as the memoriam video for the South Korean actor played in his honour. The My Mister actor died in December 2023 in an apparent suicide at the age of 48 amid an ongoing drug probe.
Contemporary actors and significant contributors to Korean cinema, leading the Hallyu Wave, were moved to tears in the process. Vincenzo star Song Joong Ki and Extraordinary Attorney Woo actor Ha Yoon Kyung were noticeably some high-profile performers in attendance.
Lee Sun Kyun posthumously honoured at Busan International Film Festival
In addition to the heartfelt tribute, the Korean Cinema Award was bestowed upon Lee posthumously at Busan Cinema Theatre in Busan's Haeundae-gu District. The moving video played out a montage of the late Lee Sun Kyun’s projects, including other quotes highlighting why he chose this artistic calling.
Park Bo Young gracefully wrapped up the tribute, saying, “It was truly a poignant goodbye. Just as in the final words of My Mister, we sincerely hope he has found the peace he sought,” Korea JoongAng Daily reported. The Strong Girl Bong Soon actress’ co-host Ahn Jae Hong (Mask Girl) also disclosed that the film festival will be screening some of Lee’s “representative works.”
{{/usCountry}}Park Bo Young gracefully wrapped up the tribute, saying, “It was truly a poignant goodbye. Just as in the final words of My Mister, we sincerely hope he has found the peace he sought,” Korea JoongAng Daily reported. The Strong Girl Bong Soon actress’ co-host Ahn Jae Hong (Mask Girl) also disclosed that the film festival will be screening some of Lee’s “representative works.”
{{/usCountry}}Over a month before 2024 BIFF kicked off on October 2, 2024, officials had announced a Special Program in Focus, ‘in Memory of Lee Sun Kyun,’ would be tied to showcases of the late global star’s films, including Parasite and an episode of My Mister, among others.
Other highlights of 2024 BIFF opening ceremony
Famed Korean celebrities such as Squid Game’s Lee Jung Jae and K-pop singers Dahyun (of TWICE) and Jinyoung (of B1A4) led the 2024 BIFF opening ceremony’s red carpet event. The latter duo was previously confirmed as leading stars of the upcoming Korean remake of the Taiwanese coming-of-age romance film You Are the Apple of My Eye.
Production designer Ryu Seong Hie, praised for pioneering contributions to Korean films like Bong Joon Ho’s Memories of Murder and The Host, Park Chan Wook’s Oldboy, and Decision to Leave, was honoured with the first-ever Camellia Award. The new BIFF award introduction is meant to celebrate women in cinema, as per Deadline.
Meanwhile, Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa won this year’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.
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