Dedicated to introducing the latest in Korean and Asian independent cinema, the Vision section recently expanded last year from Korean Cinema Today – Vision into a standalone program embracing filmmakers across the entire continent. A total of 23 films – 12 under Vision – Korea and 11 under Vision – Asia – have been selected for this year’s lineup, complemented by an array of awards designed to spotlight artistic achievements from multifaceted perspectives. This year’s selection features a dynamic cross-generational spectrum, bringing together directors who continue to cultivate unique cinematic universes alongside emerging talents gaining global recognition. The slate reflects the festival’s commitment to capturing not only the current state of Asian cinema, but also its promising future.

Kim Hyomi’s debut animated feature, Earbug, captures the growth story of an aspiring novelist with a bold imagination and a striking visual style. Park Kun-young, who drew attention with features such as To My River (2019) and A Distance Place (2021), presents Things I Left at the Theater. Shin Dongmin’s new feature, Not For You, depicts a journey of healing and grief for those who have silently endured loss. Kim Miyoung, whose A Lonely Island in the Distant Sea (2023) won the DGK MEGABOX Award at BIFF along with several other awards, returns to Busan with Some Detective. Both Not For You and Some Detective were selected for the 2026 Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) Post-Production Fund.

Oh Sehyeon, whose film Usu (2022) was invited to BIFF 2021, returns with BALER, calmly depicting a month spent in the countryside by a woman in her 30s at a turning point in her life. Park Songyeol, who gained recognition from audiences and critics after winning the Critic b Award and KBS Independent Film Award at BIFF for Hot in Day, Cold at Night (2022), explores a broader family dynamic and the meaning of life in his new film Beyond Love’s Horizon. Winner of FIPRESCI Award at BIFF 2023 for his first feature That Summer's Lie (2023), Sohn Hyun-lok’s new feature The Birds generates high tension as it tracks the truth behind a series of student fall accidents. Park Hong-min, critically recognized worldwide through BIFF, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Vancouver International Film Festival, continues his signature cinematic universe in Space, infusing surreal imagination into daily life.

Shin Sun, comes back to Busan with Nothing Has Happened Yet, following his first feature No Surprise (2022) and second feature Maze (2025), which tells the story of a woman who confronts her inner self as she navigates between a special ability to foresee the future and the wounds of a past she wishes to forget. Jang Woojin, who has received international acclaim for his awarding-winning work at BIFF and recognition at film festivals such as the Berlin International Film festival, presents Cosmic Trace, a delicate exploration of love, and loss, and the meanings of chance and inevitability. Jeong Jihye premieres FULL MOON in Busan, which follows a girl who has hidden her parents from the gaze of others as she confronts her collapsing world. Finally, Kim Si-jin takes his first step as a feature filmmaker with his animation, The Flower, which unspools mysterious events happening at a crematorium.

Vietnamese director Nguyễn Hoàng điệp presents 1982, tracking a director on a journey to find her missing mother while delving into hidden family secrets and inner trauma. Japanese director Kumamoto Ryohei, builds on his background in commercials and music videos with his debut feature, After the Song—a moving portrait of a teen coming of age amidst identity confusion and family friction. Meanwhile, a filmmaker from Hong Kong, China, Isabella Lam Lok-hin’s debut feature Dead End closely captures a man's psychological anxiety when long-buried past events triggered by the sudden appearance of a half-brother.

The selection also introduces new features from key regional voices. Ria by Arvin Belarmino—one of the most anticipated voices in Philippine cinema—depicts a folk punk musician’s struggle to save his music and home. Mongolian filmmaker Sakhya Byamba, who won the New Currents Award at BIFF 2013 for Remote Control (2013), returns with Zogsool, a satirical exploration of an isolated gas station where the arrival of a stranger unsettles the rigid order of a controlled and oppressive space. Mani Moghaddam’s feature debut Slumber confronts Iran's oppressive realities through the lens of magical realism. Bua marks the directorial debut of acclaimed Thai actress Inthira Charoenpura and the feature debut of co-director Phensiri Klangsurin, tells a poignant coming-of-age story of a mixed-race girl.

Indian filmmaker Sailesh Rathnakumar raises profound questions about life’s heavy burdens—including migration, labor, love, and compassion—in his debut feature SELVI. Another Indian filmmaker Shashank Walia, who gained attention as a writer and cinematographer collaborating with major film festivals and platforms such as Netflix, embeds a deep philosophical message within striking imagery in his directorial feature debut Birds in the Dark. Kazakh director Darkhan Tulegenov, whose cinematic artistry has been recognized at major film festivals worldwide, presents The Cord, depicting a mother’s desperate fight to prove her son’s innocence. First making waves at age 16 with a documentary on nuclear power, Japanese filmmaker Yaza Takenoshin makes his feature debut with Hinotama: Ball of Fire, exploring the weight and responsibilities of life.

Building anticipation with the reveal of its Vision section lineup, the 31st Busan International Film Festival will take place from October 6 (Tue) to October 15 (Thu) at the Busan Cinema Center and surrounding venues in Busan.

‘’Vision – Asia’ Awards (10 Awards Total)

▲NETPAC Award ▲FIPRESCI Award ▲ Bishkek International Film Festival - Central Asia Cinema Award ▲The Heart of Eurasia Award ▲Face of the Future Award ▲Hylife Vision Award ▲International Film Festival of India - Vision Asia Award ▲Taipei Film Commission Award ▲ Vision of Jiseok Award ▲Songwon Vision Audience Award – Asia

‘’Vision – Korea’ Awards (9 Awards Total)

▲Actor of the Year ▲DGK PLUS M Award ▲CGV Award ▲KBS Independent Film Award

▲Critic b Award ▲K-MOVIE Award ▲Jeong-in Award ▲Citizen Critics' Award
▲Songwon Vision Audience Award – Korea

 [The 31st Busan International Film Festival ‘Vision-Korea’ Selection]

*Title in alphabetical order

 [The 31st Busan International Film Festival ‘Vision-Asia’ Selection]

*Title in alphabetical order