Typhoon Chaba destroys Busan film festival venue

Typhoon Chaba struck venues for the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Wednesday, tearing down the walls of makeshift facilities and causing panic among the organizers.

With the festival's opening just a day away, organizers scrambled to prevent further damage to the BIFF Village set up on Haeundae beach where various press conferences and hand-printing events have been scheduled for the participating actors and filmmakers.

"I'm glad the typhoon didn't come on opening day, but I'm still very worried by the damage it's done to BIFF Village," said one festival organizer. "We're bringing in as many people as possible to make sure the event goes according to plan."

The annual festival, which will run through Oct. 15, is set to show a total of 299 movies from 69 countries, including 122 films that will premiere at the event.

Organizers prepared for the typhoon by fastening containers to the ground and leaving some of the structures incomplete, but the rainstorms sent wooden walls and screens flying and pushed sand into the pavilions.

It could take at least three to four days for the facilities to be raised again, they said.

Typhoon Chaba, packing winds of up to 56.5 meters per second in some areas, is set to head towards Japan through the East Sea. (Yonhap)