Busan International Film Festival Marks 30 Years and Embarks on a New 30-Year Journey... Opens October 6

[Financial News] Busan Metropolitan City Government announced on the 30th that it will host the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) from October 6 to 15 at the Busan Cinema Center and venues throughout Busan.


Sponsored by Busan Metropolitan City Government and hosted and organized by the BIFF Secretariat, this year's festival will screen 247 officially invited films from 59 countries. The opening film, director Kim Jong-kwan's *The Table: Day and Night*, will be unveiled as a world premiere.
A total of 14 films have been invited to the competition section, which will spotlight the future of Asian cinema. Building on its 30-year history, the festival will also offer a variety of programs—including Open Talk, Special Talk and Actors' House—that enable film professionals from around the world to engage directly with audiences, adding to the richness of the event.
This year's BIFF has further demonstrated its global standing by being officially selected as an "A-list film festival" by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). In addition, the winner of the competition's top prize, the Busan Award for Best Film, will be eligible for submission to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' International Feature Film award, strengthening the pathway for films discovered in Busan to enter the global arena.
Beyond film screenings, the festival will also serve as a business platform for Asia's visual-content industry, linking planning, investment, production and distribution. The 21st Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), held from October 10 to 13 at Exhibition Hall 2 of the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), will feature 64 programs across seven sections covering the latest trends in the Asian visual-content industry, including intellectual property, international investment and distribution, and new media.
The Asian Project Market (APM), which connects investment and co-production for Asian feature-film projects, will also take place. Through the Busan Story Market (BSM), which explores the adaptation of original content for the screen, and Inno Asia, which showcases technology-converged content, the festival will support international content businesses.
Participatory programs that engage citizens in everyday spaces beyond the Busan Cinema Center have also been significantly expanded. BIFF EVERYWHERE, now in its sixth year, will expand beyond Busan to 17 regions, including Yangsan and Seoul, creating closer connections with local communities and people's daily living spaces.
Community BIFF, held around Nampo-dong from October 8 to 11, will follow an audience-led format in which viewers directly plan the programs. The festival plans to screen 69 films across 42 sessions, narrowing the distance between citizens and cinema.
[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter