20th Busan global Film Festival Kicks off Thursday

Mozez had said in a statement, “It is the ultimate honor for “Zubaan” to have its world premiere as the opening film for the Busan worldwide Film Festival”.

BIFF’s founding mission was to celebrate the global reach of cinema and champion the cause of the industry in Asia, and Thursday’s opening ceremony at the sprawling Busan Cinema Center was aimed at reflecting its success in reaching those goals.

Hollywood veteran Harvey Keitel was another of the festival’s marquee guests to greet fans tonight, alongside a few of the Asian filmmakers who credit BIFF with helping introduce them to the world, including Chinese director Feng Xiaogang, and Hong Kong’s Johnnie To.

Song Kang-ho, the star of “Snowpiercer”, and Marina Golbarhari, who returned to Busan for the first time since her 2003 role in “Osama”, shared the spotlight on stage. The films will be shown at 35 screens in six theaters across Busan.

Prestigious Japanese animator Studio Ghibli received the 2015 Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award for its contribution to the development of the Asian film industry and Asian culture.

Earlier today, the festival organized a press conference for Zubaan, and it came as no surprise that the film’s leads Vicky Kaushal and Sarah Jane Dias kept it stylish in SSHomme & Lanvin respectively, much like the stylized musical drama.

After screening about 300 movies from 75 countries, the festival will close on October 10 with the Chinese drama “Mountain Cry”. Showcasing actors Vicky Kaushal and Sarah Jane Dias with an image of a Sitar in the centre, the poster gives a glimpse of the inner turmoil and thoughts of both their characters.