Blue Planet Future Festival in Busan set for Sept. 1

(Blue Planet Future Festival in Busan)

The Blue Planet Future Festival in Busan, a film and video screening event that aims to raise public awareness of the global environmental change, will kick off on Sept. 1 for a five-day run, featuring 52 films from 19 countries, the event organizer said Friday.

Hosted and organized by Global Networks For Blue Planet and supported by the city of Busan, the second edition of BPFF will run under the slogan "Our Only Home.”

The event organizer said it hopes for BPFF to work as a platform for people to learn more about nature by screening environmental films and videos while holding seminars, exhibitions and experiential events.

French environmentalist and filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s “Legacy” has been chosen for the opening ceremony on Sept. 1. Ten years after his film "Home" (2009), Arthus-Bertrand looks back on his life and 50 years of commitment in this film, which is an ode to the beauty of nature and humanity.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s “Legacy” (Hope Production)

But director Arthus-Bertrand will not participate in the opening ceremony, as he declined to increase his carbon footprint by flying on an airplane, the BPFF organizing committee said.

For the first time this year, BPFF will run a competition section. For the section, over 2,300 environmental films from 113 countries have been submitted, encompassing short and feature films as well as documentaries on diverse topics such as the climate crisis, waste management, sustainable food practices, biodiversity, eco-friendly initiatives and more.

Of 16 films that will be selected prior to the festival, finalists will be chosen during the event in September. Two winners be given a total of 8 million won ($6,250) in prize money.

“Monsoons are no more mere heavy rains, but have become disasters. Droughts, floods and heat waves are now beyond the level that we used to know, they’re now more than just a natural phenomenon. This year’s festival will discuss climate crisis and invite people to engage in active participation for prevention,” said Jang Je-kook, director at Global Networks for Blue Planet.