13th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) announced that the Kazakh opening film The Gift to Stalin sold out online in an impressive record of 1 minute and 30 seconds. Closing film I am Happy took only 7 minutes and 6 seconds to sell its last seat.
The Gift to Stalin is the first Kazakh film to open PIFF. The film is directed by Rustem Abdrashev. The Gift to Stalin celebrates its world premiere at Pusan. The feel-good film promotes the "positive values of love and trust standing above nationality and age".
PIFF's curtain will be draped by the Korean film "I am Happy" by director Yoon Jong-chan. The film is based on the original short story Mr. Mandeuk Choi by the late writer Lee Cheong-joon. YOON previously directed "Sorum" and "Blue Swallow".
The record was partly made possible by a more efficient internet sales system which made online booking of tickets more stable. The tickets went on sale through the internet on September 22. 300 tickets of both the opening and closing film were reserved for on the spot sales on the day of the screening.
PIFF also revealed a long list of film festival directors and programmers who are – once again – to attend this year's PIFF. Traditionally, directors and programmers of the world's major film festivals Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, and the like will all be present at PIFF. Pusan runs from the second until the tenth of October.
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