While the Busan Metropolitan Government refuses to relinquish its influence over the Busan International Film Festival, the event’s organizers are more adamant than ever to protect its integrity and role in Asian cinema.

“All we want to do is preserve BIFF and what it stands for,” the festival’s public relations manager Kim Jung-yun told The Korea Herald on Thursday. “BIFF has come to play a huge role in Asian cinema. It acts as the stepping stone for Asian directors, a route to earn recognition worldwide. We can’t let down the huge number of filmmakers in this region, who have been preparing their works for years to have them screened at the festival.”

Kim’s statement comes after a press conference held by Busan city officials on Wednesday, in which Kim Gyu-ok, the city’s vice mayor for economic affairs, said that the Busan Metropolitan Government should retain the authority to appoint BIFF’s chairman. BIFF, meanwhile, argues that its chairman should be elected via majority vote by the festival’s general assembly. 

The controversy has been seen as a “power struggle” between two powers -- the government versus the film industry -- wanting to take the reins over the prestigious festival which marked its 20th year last October.

For the festival’s organizers, however, these accusations could not be more hurtful, BIFF’s Kim said.

“BIFF plays an incredibly significant role for Asian films, which still remain a minor player in international cinema,” she said. “Filmmakers and film industry executives from all over the world come to Busan every year to see trends in Asian cinema. They discover new talent there and spread it to the world. It’s one of the best ways directors, actors and scriptwriters in Asia can become known to the international audience.

“We sincerely want BIFF to be able to continue that role, free from government intervention,” Kim said. “It should be run by people who have some sort of expertise in film.”

Currently, nearly half of the budget for BIFF’s operation comes from the Busan Metropolitan Government. Vice Mayor Kim stated Wednesday that the festival is the “child” and “property” of Busan; BIFF officials say that this kind of political rhetoric only plays to regional sentiments. They argue that the festival is the cultural inheritance of filmmakers all over the world and cannot be “owned” by a specific party.

Furthermore, financial support does not give the city government the right to dictate which movies the festival can and cannot screen, BIFF supporters say.

Last week, a coalition of Korean filmmakers announced their intentions to boycott this year’s fest, slated to start on Oct. 6, in protest of the Busan Metropolitan Government’s refusal to guarantee the festival’s autonomy. On Wednesday, vice mayor Kim said he did not understand “why this is an issue that arouses a boycott.”

“We are not unilaterally pressuring BIFF,” he told reporters. “We simply want to innovate the way the festival operates.” However, the vice mayor did not elaborate as to what these innovations are.

“I don’t think Busan city officials understand the concept of a film festival,” BIFF’s Kim said. “It’s not just a party. It’s a platform where film industry personnel and film enthusiasts come together to network and celebrate their works. It’s more than just a source of income or tourism for the city.

“Who would want to come to a film festival if the government has a say in what films it can screen?” she added.

The prolonged battle between the Busan Metropolitan Government and BIFF over the event’s autonomy -- which began in 2014 when the festival screened a controversial documentary against the city government’s wishes -- shows no signs of abating.

To guarantee the festival’s artistic independence, BIFF insiders and supporters are calling for an amendment of the festival’s bylaws, which currently stipulate that the festival’s chairmanship is automatically assumed by the mayor of Busan city, BIFF’s largest financial backer.

Meanwhile, Busan city officials claim that a “balance” is needed between filmmakers and government officials in the festival’s leadership, in order to achieve “innovation” in BIFF’s operation.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)