The biggest event of the year for South Korea's film industry is the opening night of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which marked its 19th year Oct. 2 to 11. Whether or not they have films screening at the festival, almost all the major Korean movie stars show up and strut the red carpet to the screams of fans lucky enough to get tickets. But there was one notable absence this year.
Lee Byung Hun, probably South Korea's biggest actor thanks to his successful crossover to Hollywood, did not appear due to a recent blackmail scandal. Though police confirmed that Lee was the victim, someone deemed it best he not show his face.
Lee's predicament highlights one of the paradoxes of BIFF. Undoubtedly the most important film festival in Asia by any standard — 312 films from 79 countries screened this year, 96 of them world premieres — BIFF represents Asian cinema regardless of content or style but itself avoids controversy as much as possible.