BIFF will not appoint festival director, citing 'absence of sufficient candidates'

The closing ceremony for the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held on Oct. 13 2023 [YONHAP]

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) postponed the appointment of a permanent festival director, citing an “absence of sufficient candidates.” The festival opted instead to establish a dual-leadership structure for this year’s event.

Former senior programmer Park Do-sin was appointed Thursday as co-deputy director for the festival. He will work alongside co-deputy director Kang Seung-ah.

Park will oversee the film selection and planning for this year’s events, while Kang will oversee corporate operations and budget management, the festival’s committee said in a news release Thursday.

This year’s festival, which runs from Oct. 2 to 11, will thus run under the leadership of Chair Park Kwang-su, Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) Director Ellen Y.D. Kim and co-deputy directors Kang and Park.

An Executive Recommendation Committee was established for the BIFF last December to name the new executives and elect new board members, following the resignations and dismissals of the festival’s high-level executives last year over allegations of sexual harassment and personnel mismanagement.

The committee had been conducting its second round of open recruitment for the position of festival director.

“Although many individuals who have achieved outstanding works in various fields, including the film industry, participated in the first and second rounds of recruitment, given the Busan International Film Festival's aspirations for a new leap and strategic direction, it has been challenging to identify suitable candidates at this time,” the festival committee said.

Visitors at the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) [YONHAP]

The committee, which was delegated to appoint a chair, ACFM director, board members and auditors, is now set to be dismissed. The BIFF will instead select its next festival director after this year’s event, according to the festival organizers.

Park Gwang-su, a founding member of BIFF, movie director and former professor of the School of Film, TV & Multimedia at the Korea National University of Arts, was appointed this year’s chair in February.

The newly appointed Park Do-sin has held various roles at BIFF after joining in 2001, serving as head of the program department, head of the PR department, senior programmer and head of the Jiseok Film Institute.

This year's film festival will be its 29th edition.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]