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Busan International Film Festival: Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun's No Other Choice set as opening film

Busan International Film Festival: Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun's No Other Choice set as opening film

Scene from No Other Choice Photograph: (X)

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No Other Choice is helmed by Park Chan-wook, and the dark comedy thriller stars Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, and Lee Sung-min. The film will be opening the 30th Busan International Film Festival, which will begin in September.

Busan International Film Festival is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The main focus of the event is to introduce new films and first-time directors, especially those from Asian countries. The most-anticipated dark comedy thriller, No Other Choice, starring Lee Byung-hun, has been reportedly set as the opening film of the festival.

What do we know about the upcoming film No Other Choice?

The film tells the story of a man, unemployed for several years, who devises a unique plan to secure a new job: eliminate his competition. Directed by Park Chan-wook, the film stars Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won, among others.

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No Other Choice, a black comedy thriller film, is based on the novel The Ax by Donald Westlake. The story followed Burke Devore on his violent hunt for a new job. Before this South Korean film, the book was already adapted into a film in 2005 titled The Axe by Costa-Gravitas.

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All about Busan International Film Festival 2025

The 30th Busan International Film Festival will begin on September 17 and conclude on September 26th. This year's edition will introduce a new competition section to Asian cinema. This section will showcase around 14 selected Asian films competing for five major honors: the Grand Prize, Best Director, Special Jury Prize, Best Actor/Actress, and Award for Artistic Contribution. Marking a significant departure from tradition, the film that wins the Grand Prize will be presented as the festival’s closing screening, replacing the previously chosen standalone title.

The notable feature is the appeal of the festival to young people, both in terms of the large youthful audience it attracts and through its efforts to develop and promote young talent.

In 1999, the Pusan Promotion Plan (renamed Asian Project Market in 2011) was established to connect new directors to funding sources. The 16th BIFF in 2011 saw the festival move to a new permanent home, the Busan Cinema Center in Centum City.

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Snigdha Sweta Behera

Snigdha Sweta Behera is currently serving as a senior sub-editor at Wion. She is an avid follower of Hollywood, K-pop and K-dramas. She loves uncovering stories beyond glitz and gl...Read More