The 29th Busan International Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday with crowds of cheering cinephiles, stars on the red carpet -- and a hint of controversy over the choice of its opening film.

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Asia's largest international film festival runs through Oct. 11 and will screen 224 films from 63 countries, including 86 world premieres.

BIFF opened with the Netflix original Uprising, marking the first time a film from a streaming platform has taken the pole position. The selection has sparked questions about the festival's commitment to independent film, which has long been its calling card.

At a press conference Wednesday, BIFF acting executive director Park Do-sin said that over-the-top, or OTT, content -- the industry term for streaming -- is blurring the lines with traditional film festival fare.

"I personally enjoyed watching [Uprising] very much and it is a good film to reach the public," Park said. "In the past, we mainly screened independent films as opening films, but if we think about popularity, I believe we should be open to OTT films as well."

Uprising, a historical action saga that follows childhood friends-turned-enemies during a war-torn period of the Joseon Dynasty, certainly comes with a cinematic pedigree.

Acclaimed director Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave) is producer and co-screenwriter, while the cast includes top stars such as Gang Dong-won (Broker, Peninsula) and Park Jeong-min (Hellbound, Decision to Leave).

The film's director, Kim Sang-man, also challenged the distinction between streaming and theatrical content.

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"There's a controversy every time a Netflix film is nominated for a film festival, but I think we have to question the controversy itself," he said. "Is the (screen) size really the problem? Is a film a film only if it meets the conditions for (theatrical) screening?"

Kim added that he believes the film industry -- which continues to reel from declining theatrical audiences -- will manage to find its footing.

"The film industry has been struggling recently, but there have been crises in every era," he said. "It's like a rite of passage."

Resilience is a key theme for the 2024 festival, which managed to expand its selection over last year's 209 films despite a slashed budget and a lingering vacuum at top leadership roles.

A power struggle in 2023 led to multiple resignations and firings, scaring off sponsors and throwing the festival into disarray. BIFF is operating this year with just half of its previous government subsidy, according to organizers, who have to tried to make up the shortfall with municipal support and private sponsorships.

Wednesday's opening ceremony, held in the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, showed little sign of the underlying strain. It was hosted by stars Park Bo-young and Ahn Jae-hong and featured luminaries on the red carpet such as Squid Game lead Lee Jung-jae.

Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi, known for his probing psychological horror films, was presented with the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the event. He has two new films screening at this year's BIFF, Serpent's Path and Cloud.

A large selection of Korean premieres will highlight the fest, including commercial thrillers Bogota: City of the Lost, starring A-lister Song Joong-ki and A Girl With Closed Eyes, starring Pachinko's Kim Min-ha.

The documentary film Right Place, Wrong Person, meanwhile, hits a K-pop high note as it follows BTS leader RM during the production of his second solo album.

Recent films by big-name international festival favorites will also be screened, including Sean Baker's Cannes Palme d'Or-winning Anora; Olivier Assayas' Suspended Time; Bruno Dumont's The Empire; and Pedro Almodovar's The Room Next Door.

A special program will feature eight films by Miguel Gomes, who won the Best Director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for Grand Tour.

Streaming content will also continue to take a starring role at BIFF, which has been on the leading edge of adding OTT titles as official selections over the last few years. Premieres will include Season 2 of Yeon Sang-ho's Hellbound, coming to Netflix; crime drama Gangnam B-Side on Disney+; and The Last of the Sea Women, a documentary about Korea's female divers, known as haenyeo, on Apple TV+.

Singaporean director Eric Khoo's Spirit World, starring Catherine Deneuve, will close the festival.