Netflix shows have been attracting a lot of buzz lately for its history breaking 44 wins at the recent 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards for acclaimed titles “The Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit”.
More Netflix titles continue to make a global impression and this time, it’s at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) with the invitation of seven Netflix titles to be screened at one of the largest international film festivals in Asia and the largest in Korea. Some notable titles include upcoming Korean drama series “My Name” and “Hellbound” that have been selected as the first to be invited to the new On Screen program this year.
Check out the full list of shows that will be screened at the 26th BIFF below!
1. “My Name”
“My Name” is directed by Kim Jin-min who previously shocked the world with the Netflix series “Extracurricular”. It centers on Jiwoo who joins a crime ring and becomes an undercover police officer to find her father’s killer. As she assumes a new identity, she faces the cold, hard truth and exacts her revenge. You can look forward to a 180-degree transformation from actress Han So-hee as she portrays the vengeful Jiwoo. Actors Park Hee-soon, Ahn Bo-hyun, Kim Sang-ho, Lee Hak-ju, and Jang Yull add on to the series’ suspense-filled story.
- Premiere date: 15th October 2021
2. “Hellbound”
After being screened at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), “Hellbound” has received much praise for director Yeon Sang-ho’s skillful directing, the explosive storyline, and the actors’ impressive performances. Through BIFF, the series will be unveiled in Korea for the first time.
“Hellbound” tells the story of supernatural beings appearing and condemning people to hell, resulting in a new religious group gaining prominence while others investigate the truth behind this strange phenomenon.
Director Yeon Sang-ho and writer Choi Gyu-seok reunite to work on the series as creators of the original webtoon which the series is based on. The top-notch cast includes Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Jeong-min, Won Jin-a, Yang Ik-june, Kim Do-yoon, Kim Sin-rock, Ryu Kyung-soo, Lee Re, and more. Following TIFF and BIFF, Hellbound will also be screened at the BFI London Film Festival.
- Premiere date: Coming soon
3. “Space Sweepers”
“Space Sweepers”, which received much love from all over the world, will be featured in the Korean Cinema Today – Panorama section at BIFF. Directed by Jo Sung-hee and starring Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Sun-kyu, and Yoo Hai-jin, “Space Sweepers” made the Netflix Top 10 chart in about 80 countries.
“Space Sweepers” is set in 2092 where spaceship Victory is one of the many that live off of salvaging space debris. Crewed by genius space pilot Tae-ho (Song Joong-ki), mysterious ex-space pirate Captain Jang (Kim Tae-ri), spaceship engineer Tiger Park (Jin Sun-kyu), and reprogrammed military robot Bubs (Yoo Hai-jin), Spaceship Victory surpasses all other space sweepers. After successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, Victory’s crew find a seven-year-old girl inside. They realise that she’s the humanlike robot wanted by UTS Space Guards, and decide to demand ransom in exchange.
- Premiere date: Currently streaming on Netflix.
- Our review of “Space Sweepers” here.
4. “Night in Paradise”
“Night in Paradise” will also be featured in the Korean Cinema Today – Panorama section at BIFF. The film tells the story of a man targeted by gangsters and a woman who has given up on life.
“Night in Paradise”, which is directed by Park Hoon-jung and starring Um Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, and Cha Seoung-won, contrasts beautiful Jeju Island with a sad and gruesome story. The film received much attention for being invited to the 77th Venice International Film Festival’s out-of-competition section.
- Premiere date: Currently streaming on Netflix.
- More on this film here.
5. “Passing”
Receiving much love at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, “Passing” will be a part of the World Cinema section at BIFF. The film is based on the 1929 book of the same name by Nella Larsen. The title refers to African-Americans pretending to be white, the practice of passing.
Rebecca Hall, who is known for her performances in “The Prestige”, “A Rainy Day in New York”, and “Godzilla vs. Kong”, makes her directorial debut through the black-and-white film. Tessa Thompson, who received much love through “Thor: Ragnarok”, and Ruth Negga of “Loving” and “Ad Astra”, star as mixed-race childhood friends who have identified themselves differently as adults. The film examines the deep roots of racism in the United States and takes a sharp look at skin colour prejudice.
- Premiere date: 10th November 2021
6. “The Hand of God”
“The Hand of God” is another film that has been invited to the BIFF Icons program, and it shows the coming-of-age tale of a teenager growing up in Naples in the 1980s. Academy Award-winning director Paolo Sorrentino tells his most personal story interweaving fate, family, sports, film, love, and loss in “The Hand of God”, which bagged the runner-up Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 78th Venice Film Festival and garnered a Best Young Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for Filippo Scotti, who plays the main character.
The famed Italian director achieved international recognition with thriller film “The Consequences of Love”, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. He would go on to win the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2008 for “Il Divo”. The director’s 2013 film “The Great Beauty” has also won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 86th Academy Awards, the 71st Golden Globe Awards, and the 67th British Academy Film Awards.
- Premiere date: 15th December 2021
7. “The Power of the Dog”
“The Power of the Dog” is a groundbreaking film that has been invited to the BIFF Icons program. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch and is based on a 1967 book of the same name. It tells the tale of sibling rivalry between two very different brothers who reside in Montana in the 1920s.
“The Power of the Dog” marked legendary director Jane Campion’s return to film after 12 years. She was awarded the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 78th Venice Film Festival last week. Campion previously won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the film “The Piano”. The film is receiving much love from distinguished film festivals around the world such as the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.
- Premiere date: Coming soon
More information about the Netflix titles screening at the 2021 BIFF will be posted on BIFF’s official website.
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