You won't be seeing any top stars this year. Unlike last year, there was a lack of top stars on the red carpet. However, it's still too early to say for sure just by the attendance at the red carpet. Despite the absence of top stars so far, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is receiving more attention now than ever.

On October 3rd, the 18th annual BIFF opening ceremony commenced at the Busan Cinema Center. Kang Soo Yeon and Chinese actor Kwok Boo Sung hosted the opening ceremony, and movie actress Kim Gyuri brought a passionate dance performance to the event, and raised the bar for following performers.

There was a determination to win over the Asian Film Festival. The festival opened with the film "Vara: A Blessing," which was directed by Khyentse Norbu.

What's to be expected from BIFF, according to the opening ceremony?

Opening Ceremony - "Even Without Top Stars, It Was Worth It"

This year's red carpet ceremony certainly was not flashy. Compared to previous years, this year's red carpet was definitely lacking in top movie stars. There were even rumors of BIFF threatening(?) to try to get Kang Dong Won to make an appearance. They barely passed by with Ahn Sung Gi, Kang Soo Yeon, Park Joong Hoon, and Ha Ji Won as the bare minimum for the red carpet.

Not only that, there was a very low attendance of international stars. Kwok Boo Sung was one of the only actors from China. Thanks to the attendance of Odigari Joe, Fukuyama Masaharu, girl group AKB 48's Atsuko Maed from Japan, we're able to call it an "international" film festival.

Nonetheless, the red carpet boasted a vibrant atmosphere. Idol turned actors were the lifeblood of the opening ceremony. Rough Play actor MBLAQ's Lee Joon made his first appearance on BIFF's red carpet. The Commitment actor Big Bang's TOP made an appearance looking quite dapper. And Marriage Blue actor 2PM's Taecyeon made an apperance to promote his movie.

Identity - 'Attention on Asia - Korea Movies'

Now to focus on the identify of this year's BIFF. There was a purpose to introduce the best of Korea and Asia's movies to the world. To be sure, there must have been a lot of thought put into which films to show. Bhutan movie Vara: A Blessing was chosen as the opening film, and Korean movie The Dinner was chosen to conclude the festival.

More than anything the Central Asian New Wave Cinema is noteworthy. New Wave Cinema aims to highlight many masterpieces overseas that have been forgotten, and seeks to restore them to their rightful place within world film history. Director Damir Manabay's Surzhekey - The Angel of Death, Dzhahangir Kasymov's Poor People, and Bako Sadykov's The Blessed Bukhara are some of the films this year.

There's also been a time to look back on some Korean master directors' works. One of Korea's most prominent directors is Im Kwon Taek, and his work will be highlighted at this year's Korean Cinema Retrospective corner. His works such as Farewell to the Duman River, The Surrogate Woman, and Seopyeonje, as well as 70 other works will be screened. Director Park Chul Soo's Mother and Green Chair 2013 - Love Conceptually will also be available for viewing.

Enjoy - 'Will I Be Bored?'

Comparatively, the opening ceremonies may have been a little boring. However, it's still too early to jump to conclusions. There's expectation for top stars such as Ha Jung Woo, Jung Woo Sung, and Song Kang Ho to make an appearance at the festival. They are expected to hold outdoor stage greeting over the next 10 days and have open talks with the audience at BIFF.

BIFF attendees will also have a chance to directly participate in choosing the winners. The Flash Forward portion of the event will allow for the audience to vote on 11 films to choose an audience award. This will be an opportunity to see the future of young, emerging directors. 

Photo credit: Dispatch