Editor

Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, recognized as one of the premiere film schools in the United States, in continued partnership with South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Asia’s largest film festival, today announced the official program for the upcoming Busan West Asian Film Festival, November 11-13 in Orange, Calif.

Busan West 2011 will feature eleven feature films from five countries: China, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Three of those films will make their North American premiere at Busan West including Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host 3D,” the Korean animation feature “Leafie, A Hen Into the Wild” directed by Oh Seong-yun and Filipino drama “Niño” directed by Loy Arcenas, winner of the New Currents Award from BIFF 2011.

Celebrated writer/director Bong Joon-ho (Mother, Memories of Murder), will receive the Busan West Icon Award and present his hit film “The Host 3D” to open Busan West on Friday, November 11th, following the Icon award ceremony. Bong Joon-ho will also participate in an exclusive Busan West Master Class where he will discuss writing and directing with Dodge College students and offer Q&A’s with the audience.

Award-winning director Feng Xiaogang’s (Assembly, If You Are the One, A Sign) Chinese drama “AfterShock” will close Busan West on Sunday, November 13th, following the closing night reception.

Over the course of three days, Dodge College will host a showcase of contemporary Asian films selected primarily from the 2011 Busan International Film Festival by Dodge College Professor Nam Lee, an expert in Pan-Asian film. The Busan West program features a special opening night event and a closing night reception, all designed to showcase Korean and Asian culture through food, music, and décor.

The official Busan West 2011 lineup is comprised of the following films:

► AFTERSHOCK (Country: China / Director: Feng Xiaogang)
► BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE (Country: Korea / Director: Bong Joon-ho)
► FLOATING LIVES (Country: Vietnam / Director: Nguyen Phan Quang Binh)
► LEAFIE, A HEN INTO THE WILD (Country: Korea / Director: Oh Seong-yun)
► MEMORIES OF MURDER (Country: Korea / Director: Bong Joon-ho)
► NINO (Country: Philippines / Director: Loy Arcenas)
► POSSESSED (Country: Korea / Director: Lee Yong-Ju)
► SECRET REUNION (Country: Korea / Director: Jang Hun)
► SUNNY (Country: Korea / Director: Kang Hyong-chul)
► THE HOST 3D (Country: Korea / Director: Bong Joon-ho)
► WHEN LOVE COMES (Country: Taiwan / Director: Chang Tso-chi)

Busan West is a unique filmmaker showcase that brings select Asian films and filmmakers from BIFF to the U.S. to create a new platform for heightened recognition outside of Asia. Constantly working to be a hub of cinematic education and exploration in Southern California, this is just one of many steps for Dodge College to bring one-of-a-kind opportunities to students and other film enthusiasts in the area. By celebrating the cinematic accomplishments of the vibrant and emerging Asian cinema, the school aims to contribute to the growth of international understanding among nations.

The event marks the second venture between Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and BIFF to introduce the culture, look and feel of Asia’s largest film festival to an American audience and celebrate the vibrant and emerging Korean and Pan-Asian cinema. In 2009 the two parties united for the inaugural “Pusan West.”

Busan West 2011 events will be held at Marion Knott Studios on Chapman University’s campus in Orange, CA. For more information on the event and to obtain tickets please visit www.busanwest.com.

About Chapman University:

Chapman University, founded in 1861, is one of the oldest, most prestigious private universities in California. Chapman’s picturesque campus is located in the heart of Orange County – one of the nation’s most exciting centers of arts, business, science and technology – and draws outstanding students from across the United States and around the world. Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Schmid College of Science, College of Performing Arts, School of Law and College of Educational Studies. Named to the list of top universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review, Chapman University enrolls more than 6,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students.

Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts:

One of the premier film schools in the country, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts offers students the unique opportunity to learn filmmaking in a hands-on environment modeled on a working studio. The college is comprised of the Sodaro-Pankey Undergraduate School of Film and Media Arts, offering degrees in film production, film studies, screenwriting, creative producing, television and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising, and digital arts; and the graduate Conservatory of Motion Pictures, offering M.F.A. degrees in film production, film and television producing, production design, and screenwriting, and an M.A. in film studies. Two joint M.F.A. degrees in producing are also offered in conjunction with the business (M.F.A./M.B.A.) and law (M.F.A./J.D.) schools. Dodge College is housed in Marion Knott Studios, a state-of-the-art, 76,000-square-foot studio and classroom building that provides students with 24-hour access to sound stages, edit bays, Dolby surround mixing, a motion capture stage and more. With an Oscar and Emmy-award winning full-time faculty that boasts more feature film credits than any other film school, Dodge College is where students learn the entertainment business from the inside out.