The Busan International Film Festival in Korea has revealed the list of ten movies that will be part of this year's New Currents competition section. Additionally, they have chosen ten films for the Jiseok Section.
New Currents is a category that highlights the debut and second movies of emerging Asian directors. In this section, there are two films from Bangladesh: 'The Stranger' by Biplob Sarkar and 'The Wrestler' by Iqbal H Chowdhury. The festival mentioned that these films demonstrate the momentum of Bangladeshi cinema.
'Agantuk' (The Stranger) is a tale about growing up, which navigates the journey of a family as their young son grapples with uncertainties about his gender identity. While, 'Boli' (The Wrestler), which is a collaboration between Bangladesh and Canada, unfolds a narrative in which an elderly man from a fishing village challenges a wrestling champion to combat.
Two Japanese titles have also been selected for New Currents – 'September 1923', about the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, which marks the first narrative feature of documentary filmmaker Tatsuya Mori, and Akira Yamamoto's 'After the Fever'.
The Jiseok section of the Busan festival named in memory of its former program director, late Kim Jiseok, picks movies from Asian directors who have created more than three full-length films.
This section includes a Bangladeshi title – Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's 'Something Like An Autobiography'. This feature is co-written by director Farooki and his wife actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha, who also portray the central couple in the film. Drawing its title from director Akira Kurosawa 's literary work, this prompts contemplation on the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
The upcoming Busan International Film Festival is scheduled to take place over ten days, starting from 4 October and concluding on 13 October.