The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) has unveiled the line-up of its 7th edition, to be held from November 14-23 in South Korea.

Increasingly seen as the region's leading showcase of Asian cinema, this year's festival will feature a record 228 films as well as further efforts to expand the industry-related events that have fuelled the festival's growth.

Opening the event will be the eagerly anticipated world premiere of The Coast Guard (pictured), the eighth film by Korean director Kim Ki-duk. The story of a marine stationed along Korea's fiercely-guarded sea border, the film's violence and political overtones are expected to generate both discussion and controversy. Takeshi Kitano's Venice contender Dolls has been chosen to close the festival.

World and international premieres to be unveiled include Zhang Yuan's I Love You, Jun Ichikawa's Ryoma's Wife, Danny Pang's Nothing To Lose and Junji Sakamoto's Bokunchi - My House. Although the Korean selection will contain fewer new titles than last year, world premieres include female director Park Chan-ok's debut Jealousy Is My Middle Name and Jail Breaker, a comedy expected to become a major local box-office hit..

Special sections will be devoted to the last twenty years of Independent Taiwanese Cinema, films of Oshima Nagisa that deal with Korea, and a retrospective of veteran Korean filmmaker Kim Soo-yong.

Taking advantage of new conference and screening facilities, a portion of the festival will move to the seaside location of Haeundae, which is expected to become the festival's primary location in the future.

The Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP), an Asian film project market which has become a key draw for industry representatives, will take place in its new venue from November 18-20. The event will showcase 21 projects in development from emerging and established Asian directors including Hou Hsiao Hsien, Peter Chan, Hong Sang-soo, and a project from Afghanistan to be produced by Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf.

The PPP will also host a market for Korean sales agents as well as various seminars organised by the Korean Film Commission regarding the establishment of an informal Asian Film Industry Network. Additionally, the Busan Film Commission will host the 2nd Busan International Film Commission Showcase to provide assistance to filmmakers looking to shoot in Asia. Over 1,000 film professionals are expected to attend the various industry events held during the festival.

2002 PUSAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Opening film: The Coast Guard (S Korea), dir. Kim Ki-duk
Closing film: Dolls (Japan), dir. Takeshi Kitano

New Currents competition for Asian filmmakers (1st or 2nd feature)

Ardor (S Korea), dir. Byun Young-joo
Border Line (Japan), dir. Lee Sang-il
Brave 20 (Taiwan), dir. Wang Ming-tai (world premiere)
Eliana, Eliana (Indonesia), dir. Riri Riza
Jealousy Is My Middle Name (S Korea), dir. Park Chan-ok (world premiere)
The Missing Gun (China), dir. Lu Chuan
The Rite'A Passion (India), dir. K.N.T. Sastry
Too Young To Die (S Korea), dir. Park Jin-pyo
The Trigger (Taiwan), dir. Alex Yang
Woman Of Water (Japan), dir. Sugimori Hidenori
Women's Prison (Iran), dir. Manijeh Hekmat

New Currents Jury:

Donald Richie, film critic (USA) (Chairman)
Aparna Sen, director (India)
Claire Denis, director (France)
Eduardo Antin, Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival director (Argentina)
Hong Sang-soo, director (S Korea)