Busan is good

Busan, a City of Film for 30 Years, Opens a New 30-Year Chapter with Its Citizens… 31st Busan International Film Festival Opens October 6

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, will host the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) for 10 days from October 6 to 15 at the Busan Cinema Center and venues across the city.

Supported by Busan Metropolitan City and hosted and organized by the Busan International Film Festival, this year’s festival will screen 247 officially invited films from 59 countries.

The opening film, Day and Night Are to Each Other, directed by Kim Jong-kwan, will make its world premiere, while 14 films have been invited to the competition section, spotlighting the future of Asian cinema.

Building on its 30-year history, the festival will also offer a wide range of programs, including Open Talk, Special Talk and Actors’ House, where filmmakers from around the world can engage directly with audiences, adding further depth and excitement to the festival.

In particular, this year the Busan International Film Festival has been officially designated an “A-list film festival” by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), once again demonstrating its standing on the global stage.

In addition, as the winner of the Grand Prize of the Busan Award, the top honor in the competition section, is granted eligibility for submission to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the festival has further strengthened its role as a gateway for films discovered in Busan to advance onto the global stage.

Beyond film screenings, the festival will also serve as a business platform for the Asian audiovisual industry, encompassing planning, investment, production and distribution.

The 21st Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), to be held from October 10 to 13 at BEXCO Exhibition Center 2, will feature 64 programs across seven categories covering the latest trends in the Asian audiovisual industry, including intellectual property (IP), global investment and distribution, cinematic artificial intelligence (AI) and new media.

The festival will also actively support the global content business through programs including the Asian Project Market (APM), which connects Asian feature-film projects with investment and co-production opportunities; the Busan Story Market (BSM), which explores screen adaptations of original content; and InnoAsia, which showcases technology-convergent content.

Participatory programs that bring the festival beyond the Busan Cinema Center and into everyday spaces, allowing citizens to experience it more closely, have also been significantly expanded.

Neighborhood BIFF, now in its sixth year, has expanded beyond Busan to 17 locations, including Yangsan and Seoul, creating closer connections among local communities and everyday living areas.

Community BIFF, to be held in the Nampo-dong area from October 8 to 11, will follow a “Made by Audience” format in which audiences plan the programs themselves. A total of 69 films will be screened across 42 sessions, bringing citizens and cinema closer together.

Further information is available on the official Busan International Film Festival website at https://www.biff.kr, or by contacting the Busan International Film Festival at 1666-9711.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “The Busan International Film Festival is a cherished asset that has grown together with Busan over the past 30 years and a testament to Busan’s strength as a city of film.”

He added, “With a rich lineup of festivals continuing this autumn, beginning with the Busan International Film Festival and followed by the Busan Fireworks Festival and G-STAR, I hope many people will visit Busan, fully enjoy culture as part of their everyday lives, and take home beautiful memories.”