Busan International Film Festival

About the Busan International Film Festival

The Busan International Film Festival launched in 1996 with a specific mandate: to give Asian cinema a platform on its own terms, in Asia, rather than routing Asian films exclusively through European festivals in Berlin, Cannes, and Venice to receive international recognition. That founding premise has proven consequential. In the three decades since its first edition, BIFF has grown from a regional showcase into the most important film festival in Asia and one of the most strategically significant festivals in the world. It runs each October along the Haeundae beachfront in Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, drawing more than 200,000 attendees and hosting delegations from studios, distributors, sales agencies, and funds across every major film-producing country in the world.

The October timing places BIFF at a particular moment in the global festival calendar, after the European fall circuit at Venice and San Sebastian and before the North American market consolidates around Toronto's awards season momentum. That positioning makes BIFF one of the last major discovery events of the year for international films not yet sold or distributed. The festival takes place primarily at the Busan Cinema Center in the Centum City district, a purpose-built complex opened in 2011 that houses multiple screening halls, the outdoor Dwiseat Cinema (an open-air venue used for opening and closing ceremonies), and the Asian Film Market infrastructure. Haeundae Beach, which gives the festival much of its visual identity, is minutes from the main venues and the hotels where the bulk of industry activity happens.

BIFF's role in the trajectory of Korean cinema is not incidental. The festival was operational nearly a decade before Bong Joon-ho's Parasite won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2019 and the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020, and the infrastructure BIFF helped build, in terms of co-production relationships, international press access, and industry credibility for Korean filmmakers, was part of the foundation those later achievements rested on. Korean directors including Park Chan-wook, Lee Chang-dong, Hong Sang-soo, and Kim Jee-woon all benefited from BIFF's role as the first international context for their work. The festival did not simply reflect the rise of Korean cinema; it was one of the conditions that made it possible.

Competition Sections

New Currents is the most important competitive section at BIFF and one of the most significant prizes in Asian cinema. It is restricted to debut and sophomore features, meaning first and second fiction features only, directed by filmmakers from Asian countries. An international jury selects two winning films each year, both receiving a cash prize and the New Currents Award, a distinction that has launched international careers for filmmakers from South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Iran, and across the region. The selection criteria prize directorial voice, formal confidence, and films that demonstrate a genuinely original approach to storytelling. New Currents is the section programmers in Europe and North America pay closest attention to when assessing emerging Asian talent, and a New Currents win functions as an introduction to the global festival circuit in a way that no other Asian festival award can match.

Kim Jiseok Award was established after the death of Kim Jiseok, one of the most respected and beloved programmers in Asian film history, who served at BIFF from its founding until his death in 2017. The award is given to films in the New Currents and A Window on Asian Cinema sections that the jury determines represent a significant contribution to Asian cinema in the spirit of Kim Jiseok's programming vision: cinema that takes risks, opens new possibilities, and serves the long-term health of the region's film culture. The award carries genuine weight because Kim Jiseok was not only a programmer but a figure who shaped the careers of many directors directly, and the prize is understood as a meaningful aesthetic judgment rather than a ceremonial tribute.

Wide Angle programs documentary features, short films, and animation from around the world, with a dedicated jury and prizes in each category. The documentary strand at Wide Angle is one of the few places in Asia where international documentary filmmakers can reach a large, engaged audience alongside industry professionals. The short film competition within Wide Angle is particularly active, with submissions from across Asia representing directors at the earliest stage of their careers. Animation programming in Wide Angle covers both artistic and genre animation and has historically included work that sits outside the mainstream commercial categories.

Flash Forward programs debut fiction features from directors outside Asia. Where New Currents is restricted to Asian filmmakers, Flash Forward is designed to bring first features from emerging international directors to Asian audiences and industry professionals who may not otherwise encounter them. The section provides a competitive context with jury prizes and functions as BIFF's primary point of engagement with the global emerging filmmaker community beyond Asia. Films selected for Flash Forward receive industry exposure that can facilitate distribution discussions in markets across the Asia-Pacific region.

BIFF and Asian Cinema

No other festival serves as the primary international platform for Asian cinema across the full range of producing countries the way BIFF does. A Window on Asian Cinema, the festival's large non-competitive section, programs films from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Iran, and every other producing territory in the region, often with world or international premieres for films that would otherwise reach international audiences only at smaller, regionally focused festivals. The scale and geographic breadth of the Asian programming at BIFF is unmatched, and the section is the primary discovery tool that European and North American programmers use to identify Asian films worth acquiring or inviting to other festivals.

The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), which operates under the BIFF umbrella, provides direct financial support to Asian film projects at the development and post-production stages. The ACF's Script Development Fund offers grants to projects in development from filmmakers across Asia, with particular attention to first and second features. The Post-Production Fund supports projects that have completed principal photography and need funding to finish. These are competitive grants adjudicated by panels with deep familiarity with Asian cinema, and they are not tied to selection in the festival itself, meaning a project can receive ACF support whether or not it ultimately screens at BIFF. Films that have received ACF support have gone on to compete at Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, and the fund is widely recognized as one of the most consequential film development mechanisms in Asia.

BIFF's relationship with the global festival circuit is reciprocal in a way that benefits Asian filmmakers directly. When a film wins or makes a strong impression in New Currents, programming teams from Cannes (Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week), Berlin (Forum and Generation), Locarno, and Rotterdam take notice. The New Currents selection functions as a quality filter that European programmers trust, and a number of films that premiered in New Currents have subsequently appeared in competition or sidebar sections at European A-list festivals. For Asian filmmakers, BIFF is often the first stop on a circuit that can lead to the European visibility that generates international sales and critical recognition.

The Asian Film Market

The Asian Film Market (AFM, distinct from the American Film Market in Santa Monica) runs concurrently with BIFF each October and is one of the most significant film markets in Asia for co-production and international sales. The market is accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) and operates through a dedicated marketplace in Busan's BEXCO convention center, adjacent to the festival's main cinema venues. Several hundred companies participate annually, including sales agents from Europe, North America, Japan, China, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, alongside distributors, streaming platforms active in Asian markets, and co-production financiers.

The AFM's defining characteristic relative to other Asian markets is its concentration of co-production activity. Busan is one of the few markets where a Korean producer, a Japanese distributor, a European co-financier, and a Southeast Asian director might realistically be in the same room for the same project, because BIFF draws all of those parties simultaneously. The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) maintains a strong presence at the AFM and facilitates co-production meetings for projects involving Korean partners. The Asia Project Market (APM), which runs within the AFM framework, is a competitive pitching forum for projects in development, offering selected projects meetings with producers, distributors, and fund representatives from across the industry. APM is distinct from the ACF grants in that it is a market activity rather than a funding mechanism, though some APM participants do go on to apply for ACF support.

For filmmakers and producers considering the AFM, the practical value is access to the full spectrum of Asian industry decision-makers in a compressed timeframe. The concentrations of talent and capital that would require separate trips to Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Singapore can be accessed in four days in Busan. Projects at any stage, from development through finished film seeking distribution, can benefit from AFM participation. Accreditation for the market is separate from festival credential applications, and the market runs its own badge and meeting registration system through the BIFF website.

Submission Guide

BIFF accepts submissions through FilmFreeway and through the official submission portal at biff.kr. The submission window for the October festival typically opens in May and closes in June, with the festival programmers conducting selections through July and August and notifications going out in September. Filmmakers should check the official BIFF website and the FilmFreeway listing for current cycle dates, as deadlines shift from year to year, and late submissions are not generally accommodated given the October timing.

New Currents eligibility requires that the director be from an Asian country and that the film be their debut or second fiction feature. Both conditions are strictly applied. A filmmaker who has directed a documentary, regardless of length or how widely it screened, may still be eligible for New Currents with their debut fiction feature; the section's criterion is specifically directed at fiction features. Co-directed films may be eligible if all directors meet the Asian nationality criterion. Films submitted to New Currents must hold either a world premiere or international premiere at BIFF, meaning they cannot have screened publicly outside their country of production before the festival.

Flash Forward accepts debut fiction features from directors of any nationality, with the specific exclusion of Asian directors, who are directed to New Currents instead. Premiere requirements for Flash Forward are generally consistent with New Currents: world premiere preferred, international premiere considered. Wide Angle accepts documentary features, short films, and animation from filmmakers of any nationality, with its own submission pathway through FilmFreeway. Shorts submissions to Wide Angle do not require premiere status in the same way feature competition sections do, though world and Asian premieres are preferred.

The ACF application process for Script Development and Post-Production funds runs on a separate timeline from festival submissions and through a different application system on the BIFF website. Filmmakers developing projects in Asia should check ACF deadlines independently, as they do not align with the general festival submission calendar. ACF applications require a treatment or script (for development grants) or a project status report and rough cut or work-in-progress (for post-production grants), along with director and producer information. The ACF panels include industry professionals from across Asia and from Europe, and the selection process is genuinely competitive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the New Currents Award and who is eligible?

New Currents is BIFF's primary competition for debut and sophomore fiction features, restricted to directors from Asian countries. An international jury selects two winning films each year, both of which receive cash prizes and the New Currents Award. Eligibility requires that the director be from an Asian country and that the film be their first or second fiction feature. Documentary experience does not disqualify a director from New Currents eligibility for their debut fiction feature. Films must hold a world or international premiere at BIFF. The award is widely recognized across the global festival circuit as a meaningful introduction to international programming and acquisition communities.

What is the Asian Cinema Fund and can I apply?

The Asian Cinema Fund operates two main grant programs: the Script Development Fund, which supports projects in development, and the Post-Production Fund, which supports projects that have completed principal photography. Both are competitive grants for Asian film projects, adjudicated by panels with regional and international expertise. ACF support is not tied to BIFF selection, meaning you can apply and receive a grant whether or not your film ultimately screens at the festival. Applications are submitted through the BIFF website on a timeline separate from the main festival submission calendar. ACF-supported films have gone on to screen in competition at Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, and the fund is recognized as one of the most consequential development mechanisms for Asian cinema.

How does BIFF serve as a gateway to the European festival circuit for Asian filmmakers?

BIFF's New Currents competition functions as a trusted quality filter for programmers at Cannes (Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week), Berlin (Forum and Generation), Locarno, and Rotterdam. Programming teams from those festivals attend BIFF or monitor its selections closely, and films that make strong impressions in New Currents regularly appear in subsequent European festival lineups. Beyond New Currents, A Window on Asian Cinema is the section European programmers use most actively for discovery. The combination of a world premiere at BIFF, strong critical response, and an ACF credit or market presence at the AFM creates a profile that significantly improves a film's chances of being considered for European A-list and B-list festivals.

Is BIFF relevant for non-Asian filmmakers?

Yes, through Flash Forward and Wide Angle. Flash Forward is specifically designed for debut fiction features from non-Asian directors, providing competitive exposure and jury prizes within a festival context where industry professionals and press from across Asia are present. Wide Angle accepts documentary, short, and animation submissions from filmmakers of any nationality. Non-Asian filmmakers should also consider the Asian Film Market separately from festival submission, as the AFM is an open market event where producers, distributors, and financiers active in Asian territories are accessible regardless of whether your film is screening in the festival. The AFM is particularly relevant for non-Asian producers seeking Asian co-production partners or distribution in Asian markets.

What is the relationship between BIFF and the Korean film industry?

BIFF is both a product and a driver of the Korean film industry's international trajectory. The festival predated the global recognition of Korean cinema by nearly a decade and helped create the infrastructure, in the form of press relationships, co-production networks, and international distributor familiarity, that Korean filmmakers benefited from as their work gained wider attention. Directors including Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Chang-dong, and Hong Sang-soo all received early international exposure through BIFF. The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) maintains a strong presence at the festival and the AFM, supporting Korean filmmakers and facilitating introductions to international partners. Today, Korean commercial cinema, Korean independent cinema, and Korean series content all have dedicated audiences at BIFF, and the festival remains the primary context where Korean filmmakers introduce new work to international industry professionals.

What is the Asian Film Market and should I attend?

The Asian Film Market runs concurrently with BIFF in October and is one of the most important film markets in Asia for co-production and international distribution. It is distinct from the American Film Market in Santa Monica, which runs in November. The AFM brings together sales agents, distributors, streaming platforms, co-production financiers, and development funds from across Asia, Europe, and North America in Busan's BEXCO convention center. The Asia Project Market (APM), which runs within the AFM, is a competitive pitching forum for projects in development. Whether you should attend depends on where your project is: if you have a finished film seeking Asian distribution, or a project in development seeking co-production partners in Asia, the AFM provides access to the relevant decision-makers in a compressed timeframe that would be difficult to replicate through individual outreach. Accreditation for the market is separate from festival credentials and is handled through the BIFF website.

Submit Your Film

BIFF accepts submissions through FilmFreeway and through the official portal at biff.kr. The submission window opens in May for the October festival. Asian directors with debut or sophomore fiction features should submit to New Currents. Non-Asian directors with debut features should submit to Flash Forward. Documentary, short, and animation filmmakers should submit to Wide Angle. Filmmakers developing projects in Asia should review ACF grant opportunities through the BIFF website independently of the main festival submission calendar. For market participation, accreditation for the Asian Film Market is handled separately through the BIFF website.