Kim Jong-kwan's 'Table: Day and Night' Opens BIFF
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- BIFF selected Kim Jong-kwan's 'The Table: Day and Night' as the opening film of its 31st edition (Oct. 6-15), marking the feature's world premiere.
- Kim Jong-kwan revisits the four-stories-one-cafe structure of his 2016 film 'The Table,' which previously played BIFF's Korean Cinema Today – Panorama section.
- The film follows four couples — Yoo-jin/Hyeon-oh, Sang-mi/Young-min, Hye-jin/Dong-nam, and Na-kyeong/Jong-su — drawn together at different times of day over summer and autumn.
- Kim's filmography spans the Fipresci-winning 'Worst Woman' (2016, Moscow International Film Festival) and Netflix anthology contributions 'Persona' (2019), 'Vestige' (2022), and 'The Killers' (2024).
- BIFF's jury statement called the film a 'provisional culmination' of Kim's cinematic style and praised the ensemble cast of Kim Minha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Chang Ryul, Shim Eun-kyung, Lee Hee-jun, Jeon So-young, and Kim Dong-hwi.
- Kim Jong-kwan is also preparing the local release of 'Frosted Window' alongside the Busan premiere of 'The Table: Day and Night.'
Why it matters: BIFF's opening-night slot — historically a launch pad for awards-season and international pickup momentum — goes to Kim Jong-kwan, a director whose quiet, ensemble-driven approach is now framed by festival programmers as a 'provisional culmination' after a 22-year career spanning a Moscow Fipresci Prize and three Netflix anthology segments.
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