Boosting film festival

President Moon Jae-in, second from right, poses for a photo with Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) executive committee director Kang Soo-youn, left, BIFF founder Kim Dong-ho, second from left, and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-whan, at the Busan Cinema Center during his visit to the film festival on Sunday.

President Moon Jae-in made a surprise visit to the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on Sunday, pledging a policy of “no interference” in arts and government support to help restore the premier film event plagued by political influence and budget constraints.

“The government will push to restore its past stature,” Moon said during a lunch meeting with film students after watching a movie at the 22nd annual festival in the southern port city of Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

“The direction to achieve it is self-evident: The government will revive the principle of no interference while giving its full support and entrusting filmmakers with the task of running the festival,” he said.

Moon became the first sitting President to join the festival while it is under way.

The 10-day festival began Thursday with a lineup of 298 films from 75 countries.

Though once touted as Asia’s largest movie festival, the BIFF has been mired in a dispiriting contro- versy over the former conservative government’s alleged political meddling.

BIFF’s screening of a controversial documentary in 2014 reportedly drew the ire of the then Park Geun-hye government and triggered sweeping cuts to the festival’s budget.

The film “The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol,” also known as “Diving Bell,” decried the Park administration’s handling of the Sewol ferry sinking that claimed more than 300 lives, mostly teenage students, in April 2014.

“The BIFF was, at some point, labeled as a leftist festival ... On the pretext of providing financial support, the then Park Geun-hye government and the Busan municipality politically interfered,” the president pointed out.

Moon, in addition, encouraged the artists and film industry workers, who have shunned the festival, to participate in it.

“In that respect, (we) feel the sense of responsibility,” Moon said.