Saudi Film Commission Participates in South Korea’s Busan Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission logo
The Saudi Film Commission logo
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Saudi Film Commission Participates in South Korea’s Busan Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission logo
The Saudi Film Commission logo

The Saudi Film Commission announced its participation in the prestigious Busan International Film Festival 2024, taking place from October 2-11 in Busan, South Korea.

As one of Asia's most prominent film festivals and a key global film market, the festival showcases a variety of narrative and documentary films. The festival is also known for discovering and promoting emerging talents from Asia.

The Film Commission’s participation aims to foster stronger cultural and cinematic ties between Saudi Arabia and South Korea while promoting creative collaboration. It will highlight Saudi Arabia as a prime location for film production, showcase the commission’s diverse programs, promote Saudi talents and films, and facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge in the global film industry.

The Film Commission will host a dedicated pavilion at the festival on October 5-8 featuring a Saudi delegation of partners from the Kingdom’s film sector. The presence will serve to build sustainable relationships with South Korean film industry leaders and facilitate collaboration in film production and distribution. Furthermore, the pavilion will act as a networking hub, enabling the commission to strengthen connections with international film industry experts attending the festival.

Through its participation in the Busan International Film Festival 2024, the Film Commission seeks to highlight Saudi Arabia’s growing role in the global cinematic landscape, position the Kingdom as an attractive destination for film production, and demonstrate its ongoing commitment to participating in major international film events. By establishing strategic partnerships with global entities, the commission continues to enhance Saudi Arabia’s stature in the world of film.



‘The Brutalist’ Cast Beams over Breadth of Film’s Story

 This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)
This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)
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‘The Brutalist’ Cast Beams over Breadth of Film’s Story

 This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)
This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)

The cast of the film “The Brutalist” is giving their director Brady Corbet all the credit when it comes to the strong acclaim for the movie.

“He's a special filmmaker because he focuses on psychology and behavior and those things that we as actors are genuinely interested in,” said Guy Pearce, who plays wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren.

“So, it was a real treat from start to finish,” he added.

The movie is an epic tale of a Hungarian immigrant who flees the horrors of World War Two to rebuild his life in the United States, and stars Oscar-winner Adrien Brody in the leading role of the architect Laszlo Toth.

"The Brutalist", which has a three-hour and 35-minute runtime and comes with a 15-minute intermission, was co-written by Corbet's wife, Mona Fastvold.

It was successful at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this year, with Corbet winning the best director prize.

The film, distributed by A24, arrives in movie theaters on Dec. 20 in the United States.

Brody, who had read the script nearly six years ago, expressed his deep connection to the story and his character through both his Hungarian-born mother and grandfather.

“Her [his mother’s] journey as an artist, her pursuits as an artist are deeply profound and linked to this,” he said.

For Brody, the role connected him with his mother’s yearning to leave something of great meaning behind, which was enhanced when contrasted with an understanding of hardship.

He also thought of his own grandfather's struggles with language and assimilation as a foreigner without work opportunities or respect.

“That (respect) was lost and taken from him,” Brody added.

His grandfather, fleeing from home due to the war, largely shaped the actor’s perspective of his role.

For “The Theory of Everything” actress Felicity Jones, who portrays Toth’s wife in the film, Erzsebet Toth, some of the most compelling aspects of the film are its characters and unique storytelling style.

“These characters, particularly Laszlo and Erzsebet, you know, they're doing everything they can to preserve their integrity and their self-worth,” she said.

Brody was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for best performance for a male actor in a motion picture drama and is receiving Oscar buzz for his role.

For “The Pianist” actor, having a strong team was key to the power of the film.

“In order to do work on this level, you need all of those to conspire with you and not against you,” Brody said.