The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is marking its milestone 30th anniversary with its largest and most diverse lineup in the festival's history. Festival organizers announced at a press conference held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul's Jung-gu District that this year's event will feature groundbreaking changes and an unprecedented selection of international cinema.
Scheduled to run from September 17-26, BIFF will screen 241 officially invited films from 64 countries across 31 screens at seven theaters throughout South Korea's second-largest city, including the prestigious Busan Cinema Center. When including works from the affiliate Community BIFF program, the total number of films reaches an impressive 328 screenings.
Director Park Chan-wook's black comedy "No Other Choice" will serve as the festival's opening film. Based on the novel "The Ax" by American author Donald Westlake, the movie follows Man-su, a family man who devises an elaborate scheme to secure employment after being suddenly laid off from his job. The film has already garnered significant international attention following its invitation to the competition section of Italy's Venice International Film Festival in July.
The most significant change to this year's BIFF is the introduction of a dedicated competition section for Asian cinema, marking a revolutionary shift in the festival's format. Fourteen carefully selected works have been invited to compete in this inaugural category, with the newly established Busan Awards set to recognize excellence in five categories: Best Film, Best Director, Special Jury Prize, Best Actor, and Artistic Contribution. This addition reflects the festival's commitment to celebrating and promoting Asian filmmaking on the global stage.
Another notable format change involves the opening and closing ceremonies, which will transition from the traditional joint hosting format featuring one male and one female presenter to individual emcees for each event. Acclaimed actor Lee Byung-hun will host the opening ceremony, while actor-model Claudia Kim will take charge of the closing ceremony, where the winners of the inaugural Busan Awards will be announced.
The festival will welcome an exceptional roster of internationally renowned filmmakers and actors. Italian director Marco Bellocchio, 85, will make his first-ever appearance at an Asian film festival, marking a historic moment for both the director and BIFF. French actress Juliette Binoche, who has received accolades from the world's three most prestigious film festivals—Cannes, Venice, and Berlin—will return to the port city for the first time in 15 years.
Additionally, the festival will host American director Sean Baker, whose impressive career includes winning the Cannes Palme d'Or and Academy Awards, along with distinguished documentary filmmakers Gianfranco Rosi from the United States and Sergei Loznitsa from Ukraine. Their presence underscores BIFF's growing international prestige and its ability to attract top-tier talent from around the world.
"One of our primary goals this year is overcoming the current crisis in Korean cinema and facilitating another significant leap forward for the industry," explained BIFF Director Jung Hanseok during the press conference. "To achieve this objective, we have invited a diverse array of domestic films, and industry professionals have demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm for participating in this year's festival."
Director Jung expressed particular pride in the festival's international programming, stating, "We are immensely proud that our monumental foreign lineup represents the best and largest selection in the festival's three-decade history." This ambitious programming reflects BIFF's evolution from a regional showcase to a globally significant cultural event that continues to bridge Eastern and Western cinema while championing emerging voices in Asian filmmaking.
