Busan Int. Film Festival

October 2^nd | 11^th

29^th Edition

The Beginning of the Busan International Film Festival On September 13, 1996, the first opening ceremony was held with the desire to create a ‘small but prestigious film festival’. The first international film festival in Korea took its first step amidst many concerns about holding an ‘International Film Festival’ in Busan, and not Seoul. In the first festival, 169 works from 31 countries were invited and screened in a total of 6 theaters.
Busan International Film Festival now
The Busan International Film Festival has grown from Korea’s first international film festival to Korea’s largest, and has become a film festival loved by many filmmakers and audiences not only in Asia but also in the world. As of 2019, 299 works were invited from a total of 85 countries, and the number of theaters that started with 6 has increased to 37 and are preparing to operate at the same level as before COVID-19 in 2022. In addition, the ‘Busan Cinema Center’ opened in 2011, which is an exclusive venue of the Busan International Film Festival and has become a landmark in Busan. In the early days of its establishment, it was simply focused on building the best film festivals in Asia and promoting Korean films to the world. Today, it is also serving as a bridgehead to promote Asian films to the world by discovering and supporting various films and talented filmmakers.
As a non-competitive film festival that rose to the top in such a short period of time, the Busan International Film Festival played a decisive role in making Busan the center of the film industry as well as the city of film.

Vision of Busan International Film Festival
As it has been, the Busan International Film Festival will continue to seek ways to strengthen Korean and Asian films through various programs including production support, so they can be firmly established.
In particular, as the environment of the media market is changing faster than before, the film festival redeemed its overall strategy and set out mid-to-long-term visions and strategic tasks to move forward with a more distant future.
Although it has already been recognized as the best film festival in Asia and the hub of Asian films, it is making efforts to reset and expand the vision to “Hometown of Asian Films” and leap forward as the world’s best non-competitive film festival and Asian film hub.

The Organizing Committee of the Beijing International Film Festival collects films from all over the world

Busan International Film Festival is accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) as belonging to the category of “Competitive Specialised Feature Film Festivals (First and Second feature films).” The following Rules and Regulations are subject to the “Regulations for International Film Festivals” published by the FIAPF.

Programs
The official sections of the Busan International Film Festival are as follows:
a. Gala Presentation: Influential filmmakers and actors present their films in Busan to celebrate their artistic achievements.
b. Icons: A showcase of the latest films of contemporary iconic filmmakers from around the world.
c. Jiseok: A competition section for established Asian filmmakers with three or more feature films. The two best films are presented with the Kim Jiseok Award. The award was created in commemoration of the late Kim Jiseok, program director who devoted his life to nurture and support Asian cinema.
d. A Window on Asian Cinema: A peak into the various styles and visions within Asian cinema, highlighting the films of this year’s most talented Asian filmmakers as well as the work of directors already established within the industry.
e. New Currents: A competition among up-and-coming Asian filmmakers’ first or second features that bestows two films with the New Currents Award. All films must be presented as a World or International Premiere.
f. Korean Cinema Today-Special Premiere: This section premieres the latest and representative selections of contemporary Korean mainstream commercial films with special public attractions and status.
g. Korean Cinema Today-Panorama: An introduction to the year’s most significant and popular Korean films, from commercial blockbusters to art house favorites.
h. Korean Cinema Today-Vision: A carefully selected lineup of Korean independent feature films of the year and a glimpse into the future of Korean cinema.
i. World Cinema: A showcase of the year’s non-Asian narrative features including the latest works from well-known filmmakers and international film festival awardees.
j. Flash Forward: A competition among non-Asian filmmakers’ first or second features that take an innovative and original approach to cinema. The winner is selected by the audience and awarded the Flash Forward Audience Award.
k. Wide Angle: A section dedicated to showing outstanding short films, documentaries and experimental films that offer broad cinematic viewpoints and a distinct vision.
l. Open Cinema: A collection of new and internationally acclaimed films that offer an ideal mix of the popular with the artistic are screened at the hallmark outdoor theater.
m. Midnight Passion: A collection of horror, action, and thriller films that are certain to keep diehard film fans awake throughout the night.
n. On Screen: Presentation of highly anticipated or most talked about drama series of the year.
o. Special Program in Focus: A special showcase of films by notable filmmakers or those working within a specific topic.

Awards
Details of the Awards are as follows:
a. New Currents Award: The New Currents Award is given to the two best feature films selected from the first or second feature of new Asian directors introduced in the New Currents section (a competitive section of BIFF for Asian films). A grand prize of USD 30,000 is awarded to each film. The jury consists of world-renowned film experts who will choose winners to discover and encourage the hidden jewels of Asian cinema.
b. Kim Jiseok Award: The Kim Jiseok Award, established in 2017, is to remember and honor the late Kim Ji-seok who devoted his whole life to discovering and supporting the growth of Asian cinema. The award is in the competition category for the most notable Asian directors’ new films of the year, and two best films are selected and awarded a cash prize of USD 10,000 each.
c. BIFF Mecenat Award: The BIFF Mecenat Award is granted to the best documentary from Korea and Asia in the Wide Angle competitive section. The winner will be granted KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600) with the purpose of assisting their next production.
d. Sonje Award: The Sonje Award is given to the best Korean and Asian short films in the Wide Angle section, to assist them in producing the next project by providing KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600) to each director.
e. Actor of the Year: The Actor of the Year is the award to focus on the newcomer in the independent Korean films among the New Currents and Korean Cinema Today – Vision section. The renowned Korean actor and actress select one actor and one actress with outstanding performance. The winners will be awarded at the closing ceremony with a cash prize of KRW 5,000,000 (approx. USD 3,800) each.
f. KB New Currents Audience Award: This award is given to the film that is most highly rated by festival audiences from the New Currents section. A total of KRW 20,000,000 (approx. USD 15,000) is awarded to the director.
g. Flash Forward Audience Award: This award is given to the film that is most highly rated by festival audiences from the Flash Forward section. A total of KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600) is awarded to the director.
h. FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award: This award is given to well-made works that reflect its experimental and progressive spirit, among those presented in the New Currents section.
i. NETPAC Award: The NETPAC Award is given to the best film selected by the NETPAC jury among the films screened in the New Currents section. NETPAC is an international organization founded in 1990 devoted to the expansion of Asian film distribution and screening.
j. DGK MEGABOX Award: The DGK MEGABOX Award goes to two Korean films from the Korean Cinema Today-Vision section. Each winner will be granted KRW 5,000,000
(approx. USD 3,800).
k. CGV Award: This award was newly created in 2011 in collaboration with CJ CGV to shed new light on the Korean Cinema Today-Vision section. The winner will receive a cash prize of KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600).
l. KBS Independent Film Award: The KBS Independent Film Award is given to support Korean independent films. One Korean film will be selected among Korean Cinema Today-Vision and New Currents sections to receive KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600).
m. CGK Award: The CGK Award, sponsored by the Cinematographers Guild of Korea, is given to one Korean film from either the New Currents or Korean Cinema Today-Vision section. The winner’s cinematographer will be granted KRW 5,000,000 (approx. USD 3,800).
n. Critic b Award: The Critic b Award is given to one film chosen by Busan Film Critics Association among the selections in the New Currents and the Korean Cinema Today-Vision section. The winner will receive KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600).
o. Watcha Award: This award is established to support new directors in Korean cinema. Two Korean films chosen from the New Currents and the Korean Cinema Today-Vision section and will be given a cash prize of KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600) respectively.
p. Watcha Short Award: This award is established to support short film directors in Korean cinema. A short film chosen from Wide Angle-Korean Short Competition section will be given a cash prize of KRW 5,000,000 (approx. USD 3,800).
q. Aurora Media Award: This award is established to support new directors in Korean cinema. Two Korean films chosen from the New Currents and the Korean Cinema Today-Vision section and will be given a cash prize of KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600) respectively.
r. Citizen Critics’ Award: Citizen critics from the Busan Cinematheque choose the best film from those screened in the Korean Cinema Today-Vision section. The winner is awarded KRW 10,000,000 (approx. USD 7,600) for supporting the director’s next production.
s. Busan Cinephile Award: This award is given to the best Korean and Asian documentary film presented in the Wide Angle documentary showcase section. The winner is awarded KRW 5,000,000 (approx. USD 3,800). The jury of college students, including numerous students from the cinema-related departments of six universities in the Busan region, select the winner.