BIFF taps 'The Table: Day and Night' as opening film

The Korean film "The Table: Day and Night" has been chosen to be the opening film at this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Announced on Wednesday, BIFF officials revealed that the movie will kick off the 31st edition of the festival.

Directed by Kim Jong-kwan, "The Table: Day and Night" tells the story of four couples engaging in lively yet intimate conversations at a single cafe. The ensemble cast includes Kim Min-ha, Han Sun-hwa, Lee Hee-jun, Shim Eun-kyung and Kim Dong-hwi.

BIFF described the film as "elegant and assured", noting that Kim Jong-kwan's cinematic interests, style, perspective, and world that he has explored persistently as a filmmaker reach a provisional culmination in this work.

Kim Jong-kwan, known for his acclaimed short film "How to Operate a Polaroid Camera" (2004), has also directed "Come, Closer" (2010), "The Table" (2017), and "Shades of the Heart" (2021). He also contributed to the Netflix original series "Persona" (2019), producing one of its segments "Walking at Night".

BIFF, scheduled to run from October 6-15 in the southeastern port city of Busan, is set to begin with "The Table: Day and Night".