Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)

Overview

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is the largest film festival in Asia. The 31st edition runs October 6 to 15, 2026, at the Busan Cinema Center and venues across Busan, South Korea's second-largest city. BIFF screens 300+ films from 70+ countries and attracts 200,000+ attendees. In April 2026, BIFF was officially recognized as an FIAPF 'A Festival,' joining a select group of 17 international film festivals worldwide alongside Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, and San Sebastian.

BIFF is the premier platform for discovering and showcasing Asian cinema. Its industry programs drive co-production and distribution activity across the region. The 21st Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) runs October 10 to 13, 2026, alongside the festival, serving as the most important market for Asian content. The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) provides production and post-production grants to filmmakers from across Asia.

The 30th edition in 2025 screened 278 films from 63 countries, with 1,500 industry professionals from 45 countries participating in the market and industry programs. BIFF transformed into a fully competitive festival beginning with its 30th edition, introducing the Busan Award for best film alongside its signature New Currents Award for emerging Asian directors.

The Busan Cinema Center, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au and opened in 2011, is the festival's permanent home and one of the most striking pieces of cultural architecture in Asia. The facility houses the festival's main screening and event spaces.

Key Sections

• Competition - the festival's main competitive section, eligible for the Busan Award and New Currents Award
• Vision - films by experienced Asian directors, also eligible for the New Currents Award
• A Window on Asian Cinema - a panoramic survey of the year's best Asian films
• Korean Cinema Today - new Korean narrative and documentary work
• World Cinema - international films from outside Asia
• Gala Presentation - high-profile premieres
• Flash Forward - innovative international cinema
• Wide Angle - short films, documentaries, and Asian Short Film Competition (films 30 minutes or less, World or International Premiere only)
• Open Cinema - large-scale outdoor screenings
• Special Programs in Focus - curated thematic and retrospective programs

Submission Details

BIFF accepts submissions through its official website. Submissions are free of charge. The festival does not use FilmFreeway or other third-party platforms.

Submission deadlines for the 31st edition (2026):

• Short films: June 2, 2026, 18:00 KST
• Feature films: July 8, 2026, 18:00 KST
• Notification: Late August 2026

Eligibility requirements:

• Films must have been completed no earlier than September 2025 and no later than the first week of September 2026
• Shorts: under 60 minutes running time. Features: 60 minutes or longer
• Short documentaries (both Asian and Non-Asian) and Non-Asian short fiction films are NOT open to submission
• Wide Angle competition shorts: 30 minutes or less, World or International Premiere only
• Films submitted for previous editions cannot be resubmitted (except new versions due to re-shooting or re-editing)
• Priority given to World or International Premieres
• Films must not have been broadcast on TV or available on the Internet prior to the festival
• Non-Korean/English language films must have English subtitles
• Selected films must be available in DCP (D-Cinema) or 35mm

Submission procedure:

1. Verify email address on the BIFF website to receive the online submission link
2. Complete and submit the online submission form
3. Upload screener via the link provided in the official email (by 18:00 KST on the deadline date)

What Filmmakers Should Know

BIFF is the most important festival in Asia for emerging Asian directors. The New Currents Award, which comes with a KRW 20,000,000 (approximately $15,000 USD) cash prize, is presented to the most promising directorial debut from the Competition or Vision sections. Winning New Currents has launched international careers: past winners include Bong Joon-ho and Jia Zhangke, and the award's history is intertwined with the rise of Asian cinema on the global stage.

The Kim Jiseok Award, previously given to experienced Asian directors, was discontinued from 2025 and merged into the new competitive structure. The 30th edition introduced the Busan Award as the festival's top prize, marking BIFF's transition to a fully competitive festival.

Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) - 2026 recipients:

The ACF selected 12 projects from 798 total submissions across three funding streams:

• Script Development Fund: 3 projects selected from 495 submissions. Each receives KRW 10,000,000 ($6,480 USD) and a place in the Asian Project Market (APM) 2026
• Post-Production Fund: 2 Korean independent features selected from 16 submissions. Each receives in-kind post-production support (color grading, sound mixing, English subtitle spotting, DCP production) plus KRW 3,000,000 ($1,945 USD) cash. Both films receive world premieres at BIFF 2026
• Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund: 7 projects selected from 287 submissions. Each receives up to KRW 20,000,000 ($12,965 USD)

Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM):

The 21st ACFM runs October 10 to 13, 2026. It is the largest film market in Asia, drawing 1,500+ professionals from 45 countries. Buyers, sellers, co-producers, and financiers attend to transact deals for Asian films and co-productions. The market includes the Asian Project Market (APM), which supports projects in development with co-production matching and connects filmmakers with producers and investors.

BIFF provides Festival Video and Online Market Screening services for films in the program, available to accredited film professionals (press, buyers, festival programmers, filmmakers). This gives selected films additional exposure to industry attendees beyond their public screenings.

Major Awards

• Busan Award - top prize in the main Competition section (introduced at 30th edition)
• New Currents Award - most promising directorial debut from Competition or Vision sections. KRW 20,000,000 (~$15,000 USD) cash prize. Two awards may be given.
• BIFF Mecenat Award - best documentary
• Sonje Award - best Korean short film
• KB New Currents Audience Award - audience vote for best New Currents film
• Audience Award - voted across multiple sections
• FIPRESCI Prize - international critics' award
• NETPAC Award - Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema
• Asian Filmmaker of the Year - honorary recognition for contribution to Asian cinema

Festival History

BIFF was founded in 1996 by a group of Korean film critics and industry professionals who wanted to create a world-class platform for Asian cinema. The festival grew rapidly in its first decade, expanding from 173 films in the inaugural edition to approximately 300 films today. The construction of the Busan Cinema Center in 2011 provided the festival with a permanent, purpose-built home.

BIFF has played a central role in the international recognition of Korean cinema, providing early platforms for directors who went on to win prizes at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and the Academy Awards. The festival has also championed cinema from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia, broadening international awareness of filmmaking traditions from across the continent.

In 2025, BIFF marked its 30th edition by transforming into a fully competitive festival with the introduction of the Busan Award. In April 2026, FIAPF granted BIFF 'A Festival' accreditation, making it the first Korean festival to achieve this status and placing it alongside 16 other A-list festivals worldwide. The 31st edition in October 2026 is the first to operate under this new accreditation.

Past Winners (New Currents Award)

Recent New Currents winners and where the films landed after Busan. Note that in 2025, BIFF restructured its sections, merging New Currents into the new Competition and Vision sections, with the New Currents Award now presented to the most promising directorial debut from those sections.

• 2023: September 1923 (Fukudemura Jiken), dir. Tatsuya Mori. A Japanese film about a 1923 massacre of Korean residents in Japan after the Great Kanto Earthquake.

• 2022: A Wild Roomer (Goein), dir. Lee Jeong-hong. A South Korean film about a mysterious boarding house resident.

• 2022: Shivamma (Shivamma Yarehanchinala), dir. Jaishankar Aryar. An Indian film about a rural woman obsessed with a television cooking show.

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

Busan has launched many significant Asian films. Selected premieres and their distribution outcomes:

• Jiseul (2012) - World premiere in Korean Cinema Today. Won 4 awards at BIFF including NETPAC and the CGV Movie Collage Award. Won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2013, the first Korean film to win Sundance's top prize. Sold to Japan by Indiestory. Achieved 143,765 admissions in Korea.
• Ajoomma (2022) - World premiere in New Currents. 4 Golden Horse Award nominations. Won awards at BaliMakarya, QCinema, the Asian World Film Festival, and the Red Sea Film Festival Audience Award. Singapore's official submission for the 95th Academy Awards. Distributed by Golden Village Pictures in Singapore.
• Suk Suk (2019) - World premiere in A Window on Asian Cinema. 5 Golden Horse Award nominations. Won Best Film and Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards. Selected for Berlinale Panorama 2020. Distributed by Golden Scene in Hong Kong and Cai Chang International in Taiwan.
• Solids By The Seashore (2023) - World premiere in New Currents. Won the NETPAC Award and LG OLED New Currents Award. Acquired by Japanese distributor Foggy for theatrical release. Had an unprecedented 7-week theatrical run in Thailand. Diversion handled sales.
• Oasis of Now (2023) - World premiere in New Currents. Won Best Director at the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival and the Silver Hanoman Award at Jogja-Netpac. European premiere at Berlinale Forum 2024. Diversion handled world sales.
• Waterdrop (2024) - World premiere in New Currents. Won the Chorokbaem Media Award and CGK Award for cinematography. Sales launched by Cappu Films at TIFFCOM.

Submission Tips Specific to Busan

1. New Currents and Competition target first or second features from Asian directors. BIFF's signature competition is specifically for first or second feature films by Asian directors. This is a discovery platform for emerging Asian auteurs. The jury looks for originality, distinctive directorial voice, and cultural specificity.
2. Asian cinema discovery with regional diversity. BIFF programmers actively seek films from across Asia that reflect the region's diversity. Recent editions have emphasized films from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and underrepresented regions. Films that engage with contemporary social issues specific to their local context resonate strongly.
3. APM (Asian Project Market) for co-production and financing. APM is BIFF's investment and co-production platform for Asian feature projects in development or production. It connects filmmakers with investors, distributors, and sales companies. APM received a record 604 submissions in 2026 (up 33 percent from 2025). Projects with cross-border co-production potential and clear financing needs are prioritized.
4. Korean Cinema Today for commercial and arthouse Korean work. Special Premiere is for films with special popular appeal and significance, typically commercial films with star power. Panorama welcomes a broader range including arthouse gems. The Vision section showcases groundbreaking independent films from Korea and Asia.
5. Premiere status requirements. BIFF has strict premiere status rules. For competition sections (Wide Angle Korean Short Film Competition and Asian Short Film Competition), only World Premiere and International Premiere films are considered. Ensure your film has not had public screenings beyond limited private or graduation screenings.

Industry Reputation Notes

• Premier Asian film festival and industry hub. BIFF is widely regarded as Asia's most prestigious film festival and the region's primary hub for Asian cinema. The Hollywood Reporter described it as Asia's largest and most prestigious film festival. It stands alongside Cannes, Berlin, and Venice as a major discovery platform for Asian cinema.
• Gateway to the international circuit for Korean and Asian cinema. BIFF played a pivotal role in launching Korean cinema's international presence. Before BIFF, only three Korean films had ever made it to Cannes. After BIFF's establishment, four or five annually began appearing at major festivals. The festival basically created Korean cinema's international presence.
• Strong co-production and sales platform via APM and ACFM. The Asian Contents and Film Market (ACFM) is the region's primary hub for buying, selling, and financing movies. In 2025, ACFM attracted 1,222 companies from 55 countries, 3,024 industry professionals, and achieved approximately $71.16 million in transaction volume across 8,438 business meetings. The Asian Project Market serves as a dedicated investment and co-production platform.
• Comparison to Tokyo and Hong Kong. BIFF is distinguished from Tokyo (TIFFCOM) and Hong Kong (HKIFF) by its singular focus on Asian cinema discovery and its robust market infrastructure. While Tokyo and Hong Kong are major commercial markets, BIFF's identity as an audience-centered festival combined with its industry platform creates a unique dual attraction.
• UNESCO recognition and 30th anniversary evolution. BIFF received the UNESCO Fellini Medal in 2007 (the second film festival after Cannes to receive this honor). Busan was designated as Asia's first UNESCO City of Film in December 2014. In 2025, BIFF introduced its first-ever official competition section (Busan Award) after 29 years as a non-competitive showcase, marking a strategic evolution from discovery platform to a festival with competitive prestige.

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For Asian cinema markets and co-production, see International Film Markets.