The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will mark its 30th edition with a major change—shifting from a non-competitive showcase to a competitive format. The move aims to strengthen BIFF’s standing as a leading platform for Asian cinema.
The festival will run from September 17 to 26. For the first time, 14 Asian films will compete for five major awards: Grand Prize, Best Director, Special Jury Prize, Best Actor/Actress, and Artistic Contribution. In a break from tradition, the Grand Prize-winning film will also close the festival.
“This transition to a competitive format was planned after the 29th edition last year,” said Park Kwang-su, chair of the organizing committee, during a press conference held in Busan and online. He called the anniversary “a meaningful occasion to reflect on our journey with Asian cinema over the past 30 years and to present a vision for the future.”
Park said the goal is to highlight the excellence and diversity of Asian films and to help raise their global profile.
Acclaimed Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul has been chosen to design the festival’s new trophies, including a newly created Busan Award that will honor outstanding Asian cinema.
The festival’s leadership is also undergoing changes. Jung Han-seok, who became BIFF’s new festival director in March, said the team plans to hold forums and programs to address the challenges facing Korean cinema. He added that BIFF will work to attract top films and guests to boost audience engagement.
Karen Park has taken over as program director, replacing Nam Dong-chul, who stepped down for personal reasons. Filmmaker Min Kyu-dong, known for “Memento Mori,” will oversee both the opening and closing ceremonies and is expected to bring a more dynamic approach.
BIFF’s new competition format will also impact existing sections. The New Currents and Jiseok programs, which previously gave awards, will now be merged into the competition lineup. Meanwhile, the Korean Cinema Today Vision section will split into two new categories: Vision-Asia and Vision-Korea.
Related topics:
