FREE: International student film and video festival at Kyungsung U.

Okay, here's your chance if you like movies, new ideas and stunning visual encounters of any kind. The BUDi festival (click top "English" link for, well, English) at Kyunsung University is a 3-day film and video festival with a student works competition and several, amazing "special" programs that have been painstakingly put together by curators according to a theme. For all info check the site at www.budi.org  and remember that 4.25-4.27.2007 are the dates so save those. For the Pusanwebbers here's a bit of a breakdown now:

Special progams:
CUTTING EDGE INTERNATIONAL SHORTS - these films are new award-winning short film/videos from around the globe - a few of them were gleaned from the RESfest. Seriously, DON'T miss an iteration of this program (Friday @ 2pm is best because fullest program).

VIDEO GAMES AS CULTURE - I've curated this, meaning talked to people all over and requested their films relating somehow to today's influence of video games on real life. Now there's a mesmerizing cache of 14 shorts on the topic. Rating: MUST SEE. (Only on Thursday @ 16:30)

Further special programs include:

- A tribute to Nam June Paik (full-length documentary) !!! (2 documentaries about the most famous video artist of all times)

- Best USC graduate films !!! (electric selection of International graduation films from the world's topmost film school)

- The Power of Digital Korea (with and about the korean creators of sfx and digital manipulation working in the professional industry) 

 So, the above was for the more cautious souls or those with more limited time. Next to the special programs, there is the entire International competition to be watched. The screened films were culled from over 300 International and hundreds of Korean films which were submitted to BUDi up until March. As the winners emerge with a big stack of cash ($5000 for grand prize) there's quite a bit in the balance.

Watch one, some or all programs but make sure not to miss it. BUDi can be your cultural oasis in the dearth you otherwise experience. :-)

Misha