Premium Showcase of Genre Film, BiFan!
A world-class fantastic film festival focusing on a genre films of artistic value and popular appeal
Following in the footsteps of the fantastic film festivals of Europe, which defined genre film as horror and the grotesque, BiFan has redefined genre films focusing on the keyword ‘fantasy.’ Fantasy includes not only horror and the grotesque, but science fiction, suspense, and action films and is founded on all that we cannot experience in the real world.
Having become the hub of Korean independent film, this year BiFan centers its programming around these kinds of genre film and, with events such as the Simon Yam Retrospective, BiFan is a growing platform for Pan-Chinese genre films. Moreover, A number of works completed with financial assistance from the Network of Asia Fantastic Film will be screened in the ‘BiFan Discoveries’ section, making this year a significant one for the competitive power of the BiFan programs.

The Growth of Asia Genre Film: New Discoveries and a Bright Future
The specialty of this year’s Asian film programming is the diverse selection of films, giving testament to the growth of the genre film industry. This vigorous development can been seen as Chinese film vigorously enters the world film market, as the Japanese film remains renowned for quality and quantity, and as Korea becomes an Asian stronghold for genre films. With their increasingly high production value, artistic ability and commercial success, we are especially excited for Southeast Asian films’ ability to become a driving force in genre film, opening for new discoveries and a bright future. In particular, this year we pay special attention to Korean, Chinese, and Japanese productions. Through [K-Indie Genre Strikes!] exploring the Korean independent genre film industry’s changes and trends, and the rapidly evolving visual reality of [KAFA+ Next D “3D, Once Again”], BiFan shines a light on industry’s progress, future, and the tasks that remain ahead. BiFan is proud to present two maestros of genre cinema with retrospective presentations of the paradox of blood in the works of Sion Sono and of a leading figure of Hong Kong Noir’s renaissance, Simon Yam.

Rediscovering Europe and the Americas: Tradition and Innovation in Genre
Fitting this year’s motto of a ‘Premium Genre Film Showcase,’ we have prepared a diverse selection of American and European genre films. We depart from last year’s emphasis on zombie films and instead expand out into a selection more plentiful than ever with science fiction, creatures, zombies and thrillers.
With the creative synergy of science fiction and B film of Turbo Kid, a modern take on Italy’s traditional giallo genre in House of Shadow, and the Nordic caper movie The Master Plan, viewers can savor a collection of North American, Central American, and European genre films which were previously near impossible to find. A main part of our Premium Genre Film Showcase is Mexican Genre Film Showcase in BiFan, displaying films from the Mexican directors sweeping box offices and film festivals around the world, as well as the films that serve as the foundations of their cinematic tradition.

The Heart of the Worldwide Genre Film Industry,
the Network of Asian Fantastic Film (NAFF)
Since its induction in 2008, the Network of Asian Fantastic Film has invigorated genre film production through production assistance, education, and network for eight consecutive years and serves to imbue new vitality into the genre film industry not only in Asia, but all over the globe. Continually expanding each year, this year NAFF proudly welcomes 21 productions from 12 different countries into the It Project, and 5 Chinese films into Project Spotlight. The Fantastic Film School’s Asian Filmmakers’ Lab unites new filmmakers from all over Asia with a lecturing group of worldwide industry leaders. The NAFForum opens with diverse subjects, preparing for the future development of the genre film industry.

This year’s poster is created under the theme ‘Urban daily life imbued with fantasy’. Under the sky that turns purple, placid water transforms itself into a giant dragon and runs into a girl. In July, the building-crammed city turns into a fantasy world full of imagination and takes audiences on a fun-filled adventure.
The official poster is seen as a sequel to the last year’s version with a girl and a dragon on it. It is in line with the fact that the Festival, with its new English acronym BiFan (previously named PiFan), carries on its unique identity as a fantastic genre film festival full of imagination.