This fall, a new chapter begins. We’re back with our first newsletter of the season, featuring bold stories, fresh discoveries, and exciting news. Explore the latest Festival updates and special features for a first glimpse of what’s ahead.
Stay with us until the end for a chance to test your BIFF knowledge with our exclusive BIFF Trivia!
Kicking off the year with special shout-out from across the global film community, BIFF has been making headlines across the worldwide film scene. From leading industry organizations to prestigious film festivals, voices from around the world have taken note of BIFF’s presence on the international stage.
Curious what’s behind the buzz?
Read on for a closer look at the moments that have put BIFF in the spotlight.
A major milestone for BIFF: the Festival has been recognized among the world’s leading film festivals under a newly introduced accreditation framework announced by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations). FIAPF identifies 17 of the world’s top film festivals as part of the “A”-List, designed to provide a clearer picture of festivals that make outstanding contributions to cinema and the film industry.
We are proud to share that the Busan International Film Festival is among them, joining prestigious names such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, and San Sebastián.
✍️ What Makes a Top-Tier Film Festival?
Being recognized as Asia’sleadingfilm festival alone did not guarantee BIFF a spot on the list. FIAPF’s new evaluation framework is based on two years of data across four key criteria: programming capability, industry-related activities, media and publicity impact, and audience reach. Together, these benchmarks define what it means to be a top-tier global film festival.
That said, BIFF’s elevation to “A”-list status represents a formal acknowledgment of the credibility, influence, and organizational capacity the Festival has built over the past three decades.
In 2019, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019) captured the spotlight at the Academy Awards, igniting new ambitions for filmmakers and guiding Korean cinema onto the global stage. Seven years later, the dream of reaching the Oscars feels closer than ever for Korean filmmakers.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced a new initiative under which winners of designated top awards at six major international film festivals will be granted an additional pathway to Oscar nomination. Accordingly, the winner of the Busan Awards Best Film category will be eligible for consideration in the nomination of Academy Award for Best International Feature Film independently of the official country or regional submission process. The initiative recognizes a select group of leading international film festivals, including Berlin, Sundance, and Toronto, further reinforcing BIFF’s role as a launchpad for outstanding films seeking global recognition.
✍️ The Red Carpet Doesn't End Here in Busan
For Korean cinema, this opens up an exciting new possibility. Should the award go to a Korean film, two Korean films could become eligible for Oscar consideration in the same year, opening the possibility for multiple Korean nominations in the International Feature Film category: one through Korea’s official submission and another through BIFF’s newly recognized channel.
More broadly, the recognition reinforces BIFF’s position as a key gateway connecting Asian cinema with the global film industry, while offering award-winning filmmakers a rare opportunity to continue their journey beyond the festival circuit and onto one of cinema’s biggest stages.
A then-emerging filmmaker named Zhang Lu received the New Currents Award at the 10th Busan International Film Festival for his second feature, Grain in Ear (2005). Two decades later, he returned to Busan, not as a newcomer, but as the recipient of the Busan Award Grand Prize at the Festival’s landmark 30th edition.
“I won the New Currents Award at the 10th BIFF, and 20 years later,
I'm standing here again. I hope to be here even at the 100th festival.”
Delivered with warmth and humor, Zhang’s acceptance speech captured BIFF’s ongoing connection with filmmakers, one that extends far beyond a single Festival moment.
The Busan Awards, introduced as part of BIFF’s new competition section, celebrated six remarkable films selected from fourteen contenders across five award categories. Yet awards are rarely the final destination and more often, they mark the beginning of a new chapter. They have continued their journeys through international film festivals, awards circuits, and theatrical releases, reaching new audiences around the world. As we revisit last year’s winners, we begin with Gloaming in Luomu, a film whose journey continues well beyond its celebrated moment at BIFF.
2025 Busan International Film Festival, Busan Award – Grand Prize
2025 International Film Festival of India, Official Selection (Competition)
2026 Gothenburg Film Festival, Official Selection (Voyage)
2025 Seoul Independent Film Festival, Official Selection (Festival Choice)
2026 Jeonju International Film Festival, Official Selection (Special Screening)
Zhang Lu’s connection with the Busan International Film Festival dates back to 2005, when his second feature, Grain in Ear (2005), won the New Currents Award. He became one of the leading voices in Asian cinema with acclaimed works including Dooman River (2009), Gyeongju (2014), and A Quiet Dream (2016), which was selected as the opening film at BIFF that year.
His ties with BIFF have continued to grow over the years. In 2024, he served as Dean of the CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy, helping mentor and inspire the next generation of filmmakers. Following its Grand Prize win at the 30th BIFF, Gloaming in Luomu (2025) has continued its festival journey with selections at the 2025 International Film Festival of India and the 2026 Jeonju International Film Festival, further expanding its reach to audiences around the world.
🎙️INTERVIEW l Through a New Lens: Meet Programmer JEONG Jihye
Q. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Jeong Jihye, and I am a programmer for Korean Cinema of the Busan International Film Festival. I’m delighted to connect with our readers through the first BIFF newsletter of the season, as we look ahead to this year’s Festival in October.
Q. How do you feel about joining the selection committee for the Busan International Film Festival?
My connection with BIFF goes back many years; as a moderator, jury member, editor, and editor. Along the way, I have met passionate audiences and remarkable filmmakers, and through them have come to realize the special place BIFF holds in their hearts. Building on those invaluable experiences, I joined the Festival’s selection committee this year, where I am responsible for the selection of Korean feature films and the programming of related events. I am committed to discovering films that reflect diversity in both form and scale - films that push boundaries, explore new possibilities, and offer distinctive perspectives. I hope to share these films with audiences and present them at BIFF. With that in mind, I would also like to see the Korean films and filmmakers highlighted by BIFF continue their journeys well beyond the Festival, reaching wider audiences and receiving ongoing critical recognition. I hope to actively seek out ways to help make that happen. In doing so, filmmakers can take the next step in their creative journeys and, in time, return to Busan to reconnect with audiences.
Q. Last year’s Busan Award Special Jury Award winner, Funky Freaky Freaks (2025), gained an enthusiastic response from audiences at BIFF. From a programmer’s perspective, what made the film connect so strongly with viewers?
Director Han Chang-lok’s debut feature Funky Freaky Freaks (2025), true to its title, is a fiercely ambitious and exuberant work. At its core, it is a youth film with wild charm, and I personally felt particularly refreshing to encounter a film like this today. Charged with unruly energy and striking imagery, the film races toward its finale with remarkable momentum, yet beneath its exuberance lies a profound sense of melancholy. Han’s creativity and fearless willingness to push boundaries are well shown, grounded in an exceptional understanding of genre and cinematic language. Simply put, Funky Freaky Freaks is a genuine discovery.
Q. What is your favorite film of all time?
Choosing a single favorite film is never easy. The answer changes over time, as new films enter my life for different reasons. Even a longtime favorite can reveal something entirely new with each viewing, resonating differently depending on where I am in life. So I would like to rephrase the question. Instead I asked myself, “What makes a film truly compelling and enjoyable to watch?”
My answer would be: films that remind me of ‘water’. I am unwittingly drawn to films that resemble the nature of water - always flowing, shifting, and changing its form. It may sound strange, but I truly love those kinds of films. Films that cannot be fully grasped or described, that slip through your fingers, yet are unmistakably alive and in motion. Floating and sinking at the same time, drifting somewhere between clarity and ambiguity. Those are the films that capture my heart for reasons I cannot fully put into words.
Since we've come this far, let me go a little further. A quote from Susan Sontag comes to mind: “If cinephilia is dead, then movies are dead too. No matter how many movies, even very good ones, go on being made. If cinema can be resurrected, it will only be through the birth of a new kind of cine-love." (『The Decay of Cinema』). That said, I believe that the audiences and their passion for films who keep cinema (and film festivals) alive. Instead of settling on a single favorite, I hope you will take the chance to visit BIFF and allow yourself to wander freely among films without boundaries. In the meantime, you may find a new favorite and perhaps the films you return to most dearly will continue to evolve as well. That is what I hope for.
Q. Any final words for audiences who will be joining us in Busan this October?
I promise to do my best to bring you special memories and exciting new discoveries through films not to be missed. Autumn will be here before we know it, and the Festival will soon return once again. Until then, I hope you will continue to share your love and enthusiasm for both the cinema and for BIFF. I look forward to seeing you in Busan.
🎞️BIFF In Theaters
Some stories stay with us long after the credits roll.
Fresh from the 2025 Busan International Film Festival, a selection of films is now returning to the big screen. From viewers’ favorites to critically acclaimed discoveries, these titles continue their journey beyond Busan into theaters.
Missed them at the Festival? Or simply ready to see them on the big screen? Find a screening near you and return to the worlds that captivated festival-goers at BIFF.
“Request Cinema: Made by Audience,” Community BIFF’s flagship audience participation program, invites festivalgoers to take an active role in shaping the festival through film selection, event planning, and the collaborative development of festival programs.
본 메일은 부산국제영화제 웹사이트 회원과 역대참가자들에게 발송되는 뉴스레터입니다.
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