Despite a year that does not seem to be going that well for Korean cinema, Biff once more cemented its place as the biggest film festival in Asia, with the focus on films from the Asean countries, Japan and the Chinese speaking world compensating to the fullest. That the opening film (Uprising) started streaming on Netflix a bit after premiering in the festival was met with various reactions, but the truth is that streaming is a reality and festivals, just like all other aspects of movie and TV production should eventually adapt to the new reality, as the section about dramas in Biff also highlights. Among the standouts of the program is definitely “Ma – A Cry of Silence” “Pierce” and “Village Rockstars”, in a season that featured many more accomplished films than the previous years, but no masterpiece.

Here is our coverage of the festival (you can check the full...