The 30th Busan International Film Festival, aimed at a new leap, opens today (17th).
The dream of cinema that first blew into Busan with the sea breeze has now become Asia's largest grand festival. Countless works have been introduced here, and directors and actors have taken their first steps. Audiences have communicated with them through stories, laughing and crying together.
Last year's opening film was the Netflix movie 'Decision to Leave'. While it was presented through an OTT platform, the screenplay was written by Park Chan-wook. Breaking through the tumultuous period of conflict between platforms and industries, this year's opening film is also Park Chan-wook's new work 'Nothing Serious'. For the second year in a row, the spirit of Director Park adorns the beginning of the festival.
Ultimately, the debate over whether it's OTT or cinema proves to be no longer essential. What remains at the center of the sea of films is always the story, and the Busan International Film Festival has been the sea and port that has embraced those stories. This will continue in the future.
This year's recipient of the Korean Film Contribution Award is director Jung Ji-young (79). The opening ceremony will be hosted by Lee Byung-hun, the first male solo host in history.
This year's Busan International Film Festival will be held from September 17 to 26 for ten days at the Busan Cinema Center, featuring a total of 328 films, the largest scale ever.
The official invited films include 241 from 64 countries, an increase of 17 from last year. In addition, 87 films from Community BIFF and 32 from Neighborhood BIFF will expand the festival into a celebration that breathes with the citizens. There are 90 'World Premiere' films being showcased for the first time.
Especially for its 30th anniversary, the official competition section 'Busan Award' has been newly established. 14 major Asian works have been invited to compete in five categories: Best Director, Jury Special Award, Best Actor, and Artistic Contribution Award.
The trophy has been designed by Thai master Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and the winning film will be screened as the closing film of the festival.
The competition films include 'Breakfast Meeting for the Heartbroken' by director Lim Sun-ae, the Japanese film 'Travel and Days' starring Shim Eun-kyung, the directorial debut 'Girl' by Taiwanese actor Hsieh Yu-ting, the new work by Chinese director Bi Gan, 'Twilight of Luomu' by director Zhang Lu, and works by emerging talents from Sri Lanka like Vimukthi Jayasundara.
The jury includes Na Hong-jin, director of 'The Wailing', Hong Kong actor Tony Leung, and other international film figures.
The lineup that allows us to check the current state of Korean cinema is also eye-catching.
Anticipated films include director Byun Sung-hyun's heist film 'Good News', director Kim Byung-woo's sci-fi blockbuster 'The Great Flood', 'The Neighbors' starring Ha Jung-woo, 'Project Y' starring Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo, and the spin-off of the film 'Wind', 'Jjanggu'.
In the 'Korean Cinema Today - Vision' section, works by 12 emerging independent directors including Kim Deok-jung, Lee Kwang-guk, Yoo Eun-jung, Kim Jin-yu, and Choi Seung-woo have been invited to showcase new voices.
Especially, the new flower of the film festival, the OTT On Screen section, is hot this year as well. Both 'Good News' and 'The Great Flood' mentioned earlier are Netflix films.
Additionally, nine films including Noah Baumbach's 'Jay Kelly', Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein', and Kathryn Bigelow's 'House of Dynamite' have been submitted.
The series section includes the Korean work 'You Killed Him', Japan's 'Romantic Anonymous', the samurai survival film 'Ikusagami: God of War', and Taiwan's 'The Wedding Banquet'. Disney Plus will showcase 'Tangled', and Tving will present 'Dear X' starring Kim Yoo-jung.
Notably, the K-animation 'K-Pop Demon Hunters', which has caused a global syndrome, is set to have a special screening with a sing-along version for the first time in Korea, promising a unique encounter with the audience.
A large number of global masters and stars are also expected to visit.
Guillermo del Toro, Jafar Panahi, Lee Sang-il, Marco Bellocchio, Michael Mann, Juliette Binoche, Lee Byung-hun, Milla Jovovich, and Heo Kwang-han will be in Busan.
The special program 'Decisive Moments in Asian Cinema' will feature Jia Zhangke, Duki Bong, Tsai Ming-liang, Marjane Satrapi, and Korea's Lee Chang-dong and Park Chan-wook, enhancing the festival's prestige.
The '2025 Asia Content & Film Market', held alongside the Busan International Film Festival, will take place from the 20th to the 23rd at BEXCO's second exhibition hall and online platforms.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Asia Content & Film Market will introduce new programs connecting innovative technologies with the film and content industry, such as 'InnoAsia', the Asian cooperation platform 'The A', documentary co-production support 'DocSquare', and the ACF co-production support fund for international co-productions.
The rapid rise of the OTT market once seemed to threaten the very existence of film festivals. Internal perspectives were not always positive. However, in the end, the stories converged into one. They are transforming and harmonizing in diverse ways.
Now that the boundaries of platforms have blurred, the sea of films still retains the same identity. The landscape of Busan, celebrating its 30th anniversary, proves that. This year's total number of films screened is 328, the largest ever. The sea has expanded, and audiences can experience even more diverse voyages within those waves.
Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, "The Busan International Film Festival, now in its 30th year, is a testament to Busan's growth as a global film city and a new starting point for the next 30 years," expressing his ambition to further strengthen the rebound of Korean cinema and the solidarity of Asian cinema based on the achievements made together with citizens and filmmakers.
