The 19th edition of the Busan International Film Festival will roll out the red carpet for a slew of big name actors and filmmakers, drawing film lovers to the southeastern port city of Busan from Oct. 2-11.

The largest film festival in Asia will screen 314 films from 79 different countries, including 98 world premieres.

The selection includes a controversial Korean documentary that deals with the April 16 sinking of the Sewol ferry, in which over 300 passengers died, mostly high schoolers.

“The Truth Shall Not Sink with the Sewol,” a documentary directed by journalist Lee Sang-ho and director Ahn Hae-ryong, details the effort to search for victims using a diving bell, which was largely seen as a failure.

Victims’ families have asked the festival committee to halt the screening, saying that “making a film out of the largely failed effort involving the equipment will only add more pain to the families.”

Busan Mayor Seo Byung-soo has also asked that the screening be canceled, citing the political sensitivity of the matter.

However, the screening is planned to proceed as scheduled on Oct. 6 and 10.

“Canceling a scheduled film is unprecedented in the festival’s history of 18 years,” said Lee Yong-kwan, the festival’s director.

The Taiwanese film “Paradise in Service” will open this year’s BIFF. (BIFF)

Opening BIFF will be the Taiwanese war-romance film “Paradise in Service,” directed by Doze Niu, which centers on Taiwan in the ’60s and ’70s and a generation of mandatory service in the Taiwanese military.

The Hong Kong film “Gangster Pay Day” by director Lee Bo Cheung will close the 10-day festival on Oct. 11. The film is a tale “combining comedy and melodrama without the tragic beauty of typical action films,” according to the festival committee.

The opening ceremony will be hosted by Korean actress Moon So-ri (“Oasis”) and Japanese actor Ken Watanabe, an Oscar-nominee for “The Last Samurai” in 2004.

Renowned filmmakers slated to attend include Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who will present the film “Coming Home”; Hong Kong director Peter Chan (“Dearest”); Korean director Bong Joon-ho (“Snowpiercer”) as a jury member; and Hungarian director Bela Tarr (“Turin Horse”), who is also serving as a dean of the Asian Film Academy 2014 ― an 18-day educational program within the festival.

Korean celebrities including Jung Woo-sung, Park Hae-il, Kim Nam-gil, Ku Hye-sun and Uhm Jung-hwa are expected to grace the red carpet.

Actor Yoo Ji-tae and actress Kim Hee-ae will serve as inaugural judges for the Actor and Actress of the Year award.

Chinese actress Tang Wei, who recently married Korean director Kim Tae-yong, will return to Busan for her film “The Golden Era.” The director of the film, Hong Kong-based auteur Ann Hui, will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award for her contributions to the development of the Asian film industry.

“The Golden Era,” centering on Chinese writer Xiao Hong, is among four films to be screened under the “Gala Presentation” section, which are new films or masterpieces by renowned directors. Korean veteran director Im Kwon-taek’s “Revivre,” Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home” and Georgian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s “The President” are included in this section.

In the “New Currents” section, 12 contestants from 10 Asian countries will compete for the festival’s main prize of $30,000, to be awarded to two promising Asian filmmakers.

The Asian Film Market, Asian Project Market and various conferences and forums on the film industry will be held in conjunction with BIFF, attracting film business personnel from all over the world.

This year’s BIFF will run from Oct. 2-11 at various venues across the city. For this year’s full lineup and ticket inquiries, visit www.biff.kr.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)