BIFAN 2018: Dancing Freddy Kruegers and Fireworks Rocked the Opening Night
Friends, without trying to sound immodest, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the world for film festivals, set visits, and other horror events. And while these places all have wonderful, incredible qualities of their own, South Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) elevates their love of genre films to a whole different level in ways that I’ve never seen in my professional career. The way that BIFAN celebrates everyone associated with pushing genre films forward in new and interesting ways is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Take for example the opening night of the festival, which included a MASSIVE red carpet event at Bucheon City Hall that had hundreds if not thousands of people pressed up against security ropes so they could snap photos of their favorite stars, directors, and genre personalities. Those esteemed individuals walked along a literal red carpet that circled a large fountain and continued across a lawn and ended at a stage that rivals the Academy Awards. Three giant video screens broadcasted footage of everyone making their way down the path while camera flashes endlessly sparkled throughout the night. Hosts Choi Min-ho (Shinee) and Lim Ji-yeon (Obsessed) carried us through the night and helped introduce the stars of the evening, including actress Barbara Crampton (Re-animator, From Beyond) and Korean actor Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City of Madness, The Good, the Bad, and the Wierd).
But perhaps the most astonishing, and delightful, moment came when several Freddy Kruegers took the stage and began a choreographed dance routine that saw their clothes light up, a screen descend and morph in twisted designs, and a full fireworks display illuminating the sky. The routine ended when BIFAN’s 22nd year mascot, which is the body of Krueger but the head of BIFAN’s logo (a symbol that looks like a pair of quotation marks connected at the bottom by a thin line), slowly walked off stage due to an eerie backdrop, an homage to the festival’s wicked trailer.
Folks, I’ve never seen anything like it. This was a celebration of horror in the most theatrical and exciting presentation I’ve been witness to. Horror is often pushed to the side, shunned unless it’s able to be “transformed” into “elevated horror” or “thrillers” (gag). But not here. Here it was placed on the table and spotlights aimed, both literally and figuratively, at it without an ounce of shame. Rather, it was pride and joy. I can’t describe the feelings I went through but, needless to say, it was an awesome experience.
I was able to capture the vast majority of that presentation, although I missed the first little bit. Check it out and start making your plans to attend BIFAN 23 next year because it’s clearly something all genre fans need to experience at least once in their lives!
