Europeans court Asian buyers

BUSAN -- While Hollywood's presence at the Busan film fest has been relatively low key this year, Europe has put on a muscular showing at Korea's premier event, with 80 films and dozens of biz figures doing the rounds of the newly inaugurated film center. "We are supporting 20 films here, and 19 directors have come here, along with one or two producers. It's good to have a group presenting their films, it's good to have a spotlight," said European Film Promotion rep Mareen Gerisch. The EFP are regulars at Busan, and indeed at most of the fests in the region. European films make up more than a quarter of the 307 pics screening at Busan, and the Korean public appear very interested. Many screenings have been sold out, and there has been a lot of interest in the Q&A sessions and at the market, said Gerisch. "It's a combination of the festival and also the umbrella booth, making for a European meeting point. The talent is here and companies taking part can benefit from our Film Sales Support that is available to European sales agents as a marketing tool for European films to Korea and the rest of Asia. The different things sit together very well," said Gerisch. The pics featured come from all over Europe, from the large established markets like Germany, Denmark, Italy, France and the Netherlands to newer emerging countries like Serbia, the Baltic states and Ireland. Are Asian markets opening up? "The audiences are very young and very receptive to foreign films. They are film literate and not just into celebrity culture," said Dominic Wright of Ripple Pictures, attending Busan with the Irish film "Parked," featuring Colm Meaney. Asian buyers are still looking mainly for genre material, but they are saying they want more human stories, smaller films too. "Audiences are changing here and it's a very exciting time. There is massive market potential for European films here," said Wright. Wright said the fest also gave him the opportunity to promote Ireland as a co-production venue and its tax benefits. Irish helmer Thaddeus O'Sullivan, who is presenting his "Stella Days" at the fest, described the Korean level of interest as "spectacular." "We've had massive audiences, even at my screening at 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Interesting too, it seems to be mostly women, and young people," said O'Sullivan. The EFP has organized an umbrella stand at the Asian Film Market, which runs until Thursday, and it is hosting 29 European companies there, including 22 sales companies and seven EFP member organizations. It also helps to bring the big names to Busan, which this year included French thesp Isabelle Huppert, who attended the screening of her latest film "My Little Princess." She was joined by French helmer Luc Besson, who was presenting "The Lady," a biopic of Burmese democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. The pic's Malaysian star Michelle Yeoh was also at Busan. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com