Pusan Film Festival

Fireworks went off at the opening part of the 12th Pusan International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea. At roughly the same time, South Korea's president, Roh Moo-hyun, was meeting in the north with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, having brought gifts of DVD's from South Korea's burgeoning film industry.

Actress Moon So-Ri signs her autograph on the camera at the opening ceremony party for the 12th Pusan International Film Festival. Just five years ago, she won the Mastroianni Award as best new actress at the Venice Film Festival for her role in "Oasis" as a woman with cerebral palsy. Her celebrity is a reflection of the rise of the Korean film industry, which is now the fifth largest in the world.

Daniel Dae Kim, the Korean-American actor who is featured in the TV series "Lost," was one of the celebrities who attended the opening ceremonies for the festival, which is nicknamed PIFF.

The Pusan International Film Festival is the largest Asian film festival - here is a view of the opening ceremony Oct. 4, 2007. This year's festival has the largest number of world premieres in its 12-year history

Chinese actress Tang Yan is one of the stars of "Assembly," the opening film of the 12th Pusan International Film Festival. The festival, one of Asia's leading film festivals, will showcase a total of 275 films from 64 countries, many of them premieres.

Yuan Wenkang plays Tang's husband in "Assembly," a Chinese and South Korean co-production that opened the Pusan festival. Directed by China's most commercially successful director, Feng Xiaogang, "Assembly" is based on a true story that came out of the 1948 Chinese civil war.

Deng Chao, another star of "Assembly," also appeared at a news conference at the film's premiere.

The principal cast of "Assembly" -- from left, Yuan Wenkang, Tang Yan ,Deng Chao and Zhang Hanyu -- pose at the festival.

Actor Kwon Mi and Lee So-Yeon arrive at the opening ceremony

Ennio Morricone, the composer best known for his film scores, was in attendance at the festival.

South Koreans perform during the opening ceremony.Inspired by a decade of dramatic growth, organizers of Asia's largest film festival offer an ambitious idea of transforming the annnual event from a film showcase into a serious movie-buying market.

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