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Press Release | 2026.09.14
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Eight Films to Light Up Autumn Nights
The 31st BIFF Unveils the Open Cinema Lineup
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From Acclaimed Genre Films to Animation
A Captivating Lineup for Cinema Under the Stars
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Open Cinema, a beloved BIFF tradition that captures the magic of outdoor screenings on autumn nights, returns this year for eight nights at the 4,000-seat Rooftop Theater at Busan Cinema Center. From comedy and coming-of-age drama to horror and animation, a diverse lineup of films spanning genres and stories will light up the nights in Busan.
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▲(from left to right) Look Back ©Tatsuki FujimotoSHUEISHA ©2026 K2 Pictures · SHUEISHA
In the Clear Moonlit Dusk ©2026“In the Clear Moonlit Dusk”Film Partners
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▲(from left to right) The Spiral ©Andrea Miconi, Inherit ©GDH 559 Co., Ltd.
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First, two films adapted from popular manga are sure to catch the eye. The first is an auteur Koreeda Hirokazu’s latest film, Look Back. Based on the manga of the same name by Fujimoto Tatsuki, the film delicately and profoundly captures the coming-of-age journey of two girls who forge a deep connection through their shared passion for manga, celebrating the joy of creation while embracing the pain of parting. Takemura Kentaro’s In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, a live-action adaptation of Yamamori Mika’s manga of the same title, will make its Busan premiere. Michieda Shunsuke and Anzai Seira bring youthful emotions to life with wonderful chemistry, from insecurity and envy of others to the sometimes childish pangs of jealousy.
Two horror films perfectly suited for the darkness of autumn nights also join the lineup. Paolo Strippoli, who demonstrated his distinctive flair for genre filmmaking with The Holy Boy (2025), returns to Busan with his latest feature, The Spiral, hailed as an Italian Parasite and drawing considerable attention in Competition at Venice. What begins with a deal born from a family’s long-held secret spirals into an uncontrollable catastrophe across generations. The result is a tightly wound thriller that never lets up on the tension. With powerful performances from some of Italy’s leading actors, including Adriano Giannini, The Spiral offers a rare chance to experience a gripping thriller ourdoors on an autumn night in Busan. Also joining the lineup is Inherit, the latest feature from Banjong Pisanthanakun, who has led the Asian horror trend, known for SHUTTER (2004) and THE MEDIUM (2021). Based on the hugely popular novel The Demon’s Heir (1991), the film gradually unveils a family secret passed down through generations—and the horror hidden within it. Davika Hoorne, the acclaimed Thai model and actor who graced the BIFF red carpet last year, delivers a striking performance as the sensual grandmother named Woranart.
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▲(from left to right) The Violinist ©Robot Playground Media / TV ON Producciones / Altri Occhi
All About Corinne ©AvenueB - Jerome Prebois
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▲(from left to right) The Sorry Generation ©stonevstudio
Just an Illusion ©2026 ADNP - TEN CINEMA - GAUMONT - TF1 FILMS PRODUCTION - QUAD+TEN
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The sole animated film in the Open Cinema lineup, The Violinist, is a standout title that took home both the SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack in a Feature Film and Cristal for a Feature Film at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2026. Set in Singapore under British rule during World War II, the film tenderly portrays the love and growth of a girl and a boy brought together through music, rendered in delicate hand-drawn animation and accompanied by classical melodies. All About Corinne is already a comedy worth seeing simply for the sight of living legend Isabelle Huppert transformed into a perennial extra who somehow must avoid being caught on camera.
Top French stars including Sandrine Kiberlain and Diane Kruger also make surprise appearances as themselves in this uproarious comedy, which Huppert and director Marc Fitoussi will personally introduce from the Open Cinema stage.
The only Korean film in the Open Cinema lineup, The Sorry Generation is a riotous family comedy centered on a father who plans to perform a shamanic ritual to protect his family and a son determined to exorcise the ancestors who keep throwing his life into chaos. Jung Jae-young, Lee Yi-kyung, Kim Joo-ryoung, and Kim Ah-young deliver standout comic performances, adding to the film’s irreverent charm and making its family mayhem all the more entertaining. Just an Illusion, the latest film from Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, directors of The Intouchables (2011), brings the Open Cinema lineup to a close by taking audiences to Paris in 1985. Thirteen-year-old Vincent embarks on a comical first-love adventure, trying to impress his crush Marion—even if it means wasting his brother’s hairspray to look his best. Blending the youthful charm of La Boum with the humor of Reply 1988, the film promises a delightful nostalgic journey back to the 1980s, where laughter and tears beautifully intertwine.
The 31st Busan International Film Festival’s Open Cinema will invite audiences to experience a different atmosphere each night from October 7th (Wed) through October 14th (Wed). Screenings will begin at 8 p.m. each evening at the Roof Theater at Busan Cinema Center.
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[‘Open Cinema’ Screening List]
*Titles listed in screening order
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▶31st Busan International Film Festival: Oct 6 (Tue) – Oct 15 (Thu)
▶21st Asian Contents & Film Market: Oct 10 (Sat) – Oct 13 (Tue)
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