Opening Night

Friday, November 20 – 6:00PM

Join us on Friday, November 20 as we kick-off the first inaugural Pusan West showcase with a memorable opening night extravaganza. We will begin the evening at 6:00PM with a tribute to famous Korean director Chan-wook Park as we honor him with the Pusan West Icon Award. Following the award ceremony, Park will introduce and screen his vampire thriller Thirst, the director’s cut.

Then it’s truly time to celebrate in high-Hollywood-style fashion at the post-screening reception. Guests are invited to stay and enjoy food, drinks and entertainment while mixing with our Korean filmmakers in attendance.

Schedule
4:30-6:30PM – Famous Kogi Korean Taco Truck On Location
5:00PM – Red Carpet Arrivals
6:00PM – Opening Ceremony
7:00PM – Thirst screening
9:30PM – After party with complimentary food and beverage; performance by the Korean Classical Music and Dance Company

Ticket Price (including post-reception): $25
Click here for complete ticket information.

About Chan-wook Park
Park initially wanted to be an art critic, however, upon seeing Hitchcock’s Vertigo in his college days he decided to become a filmmaker. After working some years as a film critic and assistant director, he made his directorial debut in 1992 with a crime romance thriller The Moon… is the Sun’s Dream and then five years later, he directed a crime comedy Trio. However, his early films were not successful and he had to make a living by running a video rental shop and writing film criticism. His breakthrough came in 2000 with a Korean-style blockbuster film JSA: Joint Security Area, which broke the box office record at the time. This success gave him more creative control over his next project, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and his subsequent films in what became known as the “Vengeance Trilogy,” Oldboy (2003) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) where he developed his idiosyncratic visual style combined with black humor. Park gained international fame when Oldboy won the Grand Prix Award at Cannes International Film Festival in 2004. One of the most acclaimed directors in Korea, Park won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2009 with Thirst.