The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has confirmed its major strategic pivot for its upcoming 30th anniversary, transitioning from a non-competitive showcase to a competition format in a bid to cement its position as a powerhouse in the Asian film landscape.
Set to unspool Sept. 17-26, BIFF’s new competitive section will feature some 14 Asian films vying for five prestigious awards: the grand prize, best director, special jury prize, best actor/actress and artistic contribution. In a notable break with tradition, the grand prize winner will screen as the festival’s closing film, rather than a separately selected title.
“After concluding the 29th edition last year, we mentioned that the 30th festival would move from a non-competitive to a competitive format,” said Park Kwang-su, chair of the organizing committee, during Tuesday’s hybrid press conference held both in Busan and online.
The milestone anniversary represents what Park called “a meaningful occasion to reflect on the journey of growth alongside Asian cinema over the past 30 years and to present a vision for the next 30 years.”
“We are aiming to discover and introduce the excellence and diversity of Asian cinema more actively and contribute to further elevating the status of Asian films in the global film industry,” Park added.
Acclaimed Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul has been tapped to design the trophies for the awards, including a new Busan Award that will recognize outstanding Asian cinema.
The festival’s transformation extends to its leadership team. Jung Han-seok, who has been appointed as the new festival director, began his tenure on March 21. “We plan to organize various programs and forums to diagnose the crisis facing Korean films and collectively seek practical solutions,” he said during the press event, adding that the festival would prioritize audience engagement by securing high-profile works and guests.
The programming department is also seeing a changing of the guard, with Karen Park stepping into the role of program director following Nam Dong-chul’s departure for personal reasons.
Veteran filmmaker Min Kyu-dong (“Memento Mori”) will helm oversee of both the opening and closing ceremonies, promising a more dynamic presentation for the landmark edition.
The restructuring will also affect BIFF’s existing program sections. The New Currents and Jiseok strands, previously serving as the festival’s awards platforms, will be integrated into the new competition section. Meanwhile, the Korean Cinema Today Vision strand will expand into two sections — Vision-Asia and Vision-Korea.
