Busan International Film Festival

Korea
All genres

The Busan International Film Festival (known as Pusan Festival prior to 2011) is one of the major Asian film festivals and in 2022 screened 353 films from 71 countries. Total attendance 161,145.

The festival accepts features, shorts, documentaries and animation and screens them across various programs including Gala Presentations – world premieres; New Currents – an international competition for first or second features from Asian directors; Icons - the latest films from iconic filmmakers from around the world; Flash Forward – narrative features from non-Asian filmmakers; World Cinema – works by world-renowned filmmakers; Wide Angle – shorts, animation and documentaries; Open Cinema - new titles screening at their hallmark open cinema; and Midnight Madness – horror, sci-fi and cult films.

Busan also hosts the Asian Film Market (AFM), a marketplace for all Asian film business, and the Asian Project Market (APM), which brings together filmmakers with potential co-producers or co-financiers.




ATTENDEES’ TIPS
“...for subjects with any Asian content this would be an ideal opportunity to explore possibilities for finance and presales in Asia.”

“Most of the networking took place after-hours at the functions organised by the festival. These were invaluable and impressed on me the importance of attending the industry ‘parties’ at future events. Because that’s where the professional relationships are forged, in an informal way.”

“There was an official marketplace operating during the festival. We met people regarding local sale opportunities for the film. We also got the details of other short film distributors in Europe, from other contacts made at the festival.”

“If you have a project that could be an Australian-Asian co-production, it’s also a good festival to target, it seems. Make sure you take your producer.”

“The sales opportunity came the instant our film was listed in the programme... That resulted in three sales agents bidding on the film during the festival.”

Awards

2017 - Won - Pulse - BNK Busan Bank Award

Screenings

2023 - Flash Forward - Shayda

2021 - Icons - Power of the Dog, The

2021 - World Cinema - Nitram

2020 - World Cinema - I Met a Girl

2019 - World Cinema - Hearts and Bones

2019 - World Cinema - I Am Woman

2019 - World Cinema - Measure for Measure

2018 - Short Film Showcase - All These Creatures

2017 - Wide Angle - Mountain

2017 - World Cinema - Sweet Country

2017 - Flash Forward - Pulse

2017 - World Cinema - Australia Day

2016 - Flash Forward - Bad Girl

2016 - Flash Forward - Hounds of Love

2016 - World Cinema - Boys in the Trees

2015 - World Cinema - Last Cab To Darwin

2015 - World Cinema - Daughter, The

2015 - World Cinema - Dressmaker, The

2015 - Midnight Passion - Backtrack

2014 - World Cinema - Kill Me Three Times

2014 - Flash Forward - Mule, The

2014 - Wide Angle - Paper Planes

2014 - Midnight Passion - Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead

2013 - World Cinema - Mystery Road

2013 - Flash Forward - Rocket, The

2013 - Flash Forward - Canopy

2013 - Wide Angle - Red Obsession

2013 - Wide Angle - Fence, The

2012 - Gala Presentation - Sapphires, The

2012 - World Cinema - Lore

2012 - Wide Angle - Paramedico

2012 - Wide Angle - Short Film Showcase - Convenience

2011 - World Cinema; Special Programs in Focus - Taj

2011 - Midnight Passion; Special Programs in Focus - Snowtown

2011 - World Cinema; Special Programs in Focus - Red Dog

2011 - Wide Angle; Special Programs in Focus - Peekaboo

2011 - Wide Angle; Special Programs in Focus - Mad As Hell: The Peter Finch Story

2011 - World Cinema; Special Programs in Focus - Hunter, The