30th Busan International Film Festival: 10 Must-See Anticipated Films!

Cultural Planner Hachi

The Busan International Film Festival, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is about to kick off. As time has passed, the weight of the film festival has changed, but this year, especially with the announcement of an unprecedented guest lineup, there is heartwarming news that film fans are worried about the festival's bankruptcy. I was also thrilled to find prominent names in the global film industry, including Jafar Panahi and Sean Baker, on the guest list, but a part of me felt uneasy. Starting with the pre-sale for the opening and closing films on September 5, and general ticket sales opening on the 9th, I must once again participate in the 'ticketing war' this year. The ticketing process, where emotions fluctuate by the second, requires thorough preparation to meet the desired films. So today, I have compiled 10 must-see anticipated films based on major works that domestic importers have already confirmed. Just because the import has been confirmed does not guarantee a release. So cinephiles, I hope you seize victory in the Busan ticketing battle with quick hands and sharp eyes!

〈Just an Accident〉 by Jafar Panahi

To share some TMI, my favorite director is Jafar Panahi. The 30th Busan International Film Festival has officially confirmed Panahi's attendance by selecting him as the recipient of the 'Asian Film of the Year' award, and his new film 〈Just an Accident〉 (2025) will also be screened at the festival. The film depicts the story of Vahid, a mechanic in Tehran, who unexpectedly encounters the prison guard who tortured him in the past, exploring the uncertain truths and moral confusion faced by humanity. With this work, Panahi won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year, becoming the first Asian director to win the top awards at all three major film festivals in the world. It is confirmed to be released on October 1st by Green Narae Media.

〈National Treasure〉 by Lee Sang-il

Director Lee Sang-il and actor Ryo Yoshizawa are also coming to Busan with the film 〈National Treasure〉 (2025). Based on the novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida, the film tells the story of Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa), a boy from a yakuza family who does not fit into the traditional world of Kabuki, dedicating his life to Kabuki and rising to the rank of 'National Treasure' over 50 years. Despite its runtime of 3 hours, the film surpassed 10 billion yen (approximately 942 million won) in box office revenue, making it the second highest-grossing Japanese live-action film in 22 years. Director Lee Sang-il, a Korean resident in Japan, expressed his desire to question identity and the essence of human existence through the character of Onnagata (female role specialists in Kabuki). It is set to be released in the second half of this year, imported by Media Castle and distributed by Next Entertainment World (NEW).

〈Mother's Time〉 by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

The Dardenne brothers' new film 〈Mother's Time〉 (2025) captures the lives of five teenage single mothers living together in a care center. These young mothers, each carrying their own stories and struggles, fight in their own ways to change their lives and create a better future for themselves and their children, despite the difficulties they face within society and the system. This film, which won the Best Screenplay Award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, will be introduced in Korea through the Dardenne brothers' strong partner, Jinjins.

〈Father Mother Sister Brother〉 by Jim Jarmusch

After 6 years since 〈Dead Don't Die〉 (2019), Jim Jarmusch returns with his new film 〈Father Mother Sister Brother〉 (2025). As it is being premiered at the ongoing 82nd Venice International Film Festival, detailed information is hard to find, but just the name 'Jim Jarmusch' amplifies cinematic curiosity. The film unfolds against the backdrop of the Northeastern United States, Dublin, Ireland, and Paris, France, exploring the tensions and conflicts between parents and adult children in three omnibus formats. How will the director reinterpret the age-old theme of family conflict and reconciliation? With the addition of Adam Driver and Cate Blanchett, expectations are heightened. In Korea, the film has been confirmed for import by Andamiro, and is set to be released in the second half of this year. It is an invited film in the competition section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

〈Travel and Days〉 by Miyaake Sho

At the 78th Locarno International Film Festival, Miyaake Sho won the top prize, the Golden Leopard, with 〈Travel and Days〉 (2025), while Neo Sora won the Best Short Film Award with the short film 〈A Very Straight Neck〉. This recognition of the rising presence of Japanese cinema was unavoidable. Miyaake Sho's 〈Travel and Days〉 proves once again the power of delicate narratives and sensory direction unique to Japanese cinema, alongside Hayakawa Chie, who was previously invited to the Cannes competition section. The film presents different stories set against the backdrop of summer and winter. In summer, a woman on a trip and a man visiting his mother's hometown coincidentally meet on the beach, while in winter, a screenwriter (Shim Eun-kyung) in a slump stays at a mountain inn and meets the owner Benzo, depicting the waves of changing emotions. It is set to be released in December this year, imported by Eight Nine Film.

〈Renoir〉 by Hayakawa Chie

In her previous work 〈Plan 75〉 (2022), Hayakawa Chie imagined a future elderly society in Japan, and in her new film 〈Renoir〉, she reflects on Tokyo in the 1980s. An 11-year-old girl, Fuki (Suzuki Yui), is curious about death and explores it through imagining funerals and attempting to communicate with spirits. For her, death is a part of life, becoming an object of curiosity and observation. This impressive coming-of-age drama, which is said to sensitively capture the essence of life and death, has heightened expectations for Hayakawa Chie's leap as a director after winning the Golden Camera Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Director Hayakawa Chie and producer Mizuno Eiko are expected to visit Busan to participate in a conversation with the audience. It is imported by Ode and awaits domestic release.

〈Mastermind〉 by Kelly Reichardt

Kelly Reichardt, one of the most notable directors in the current American independent film scene, is also coming to Busan with her new film 〈Mastermind〉 (2025). The film is set in the 1970s Massachusetts suburbs, following a bumbling thief, James Mooney (Josh O'Connor), who plans an art theft amidst the Vietnam War and the feminist movement. The film carefully examines the collapse of family and daily life after the crime, satirizing typical masculinity and exploring the emotional landscape of a failed patriarch. This film is a must-see at the festival, as the domestic importer has not yet been determined.

〈Chronicles of Water〉 by Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart's feature debut 〈Chronicles of Water〉 (2025) is a work that she has completed with her ambitions as an actress and director. Having previously showcased experimental visual language through short films and music videos, Kristen unravels themes of sexual abuse, violence, addiction, and the sense of salvation in reclaiming oneself in water through poetic and abstract montages and non-linear narratives. The film is based on the autobiographical essay 〈Chronicles of Water〉 by American female writer Lydia Yuknavitch, with actress Imogen Poots portraying Yuknavitch. Stewart read only the first 40 pages of the original work and was convinced that it “must be shown to the world,” directly contacting the author to purchase the film rights. The film was invited to the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and received positive reviews, and it is set to be screened for the first time in Asia at the World Cinema section of the 30th Busan International Film Festival. In Korea, it will be imported and distributed by Pan Cinema, scheduled for release in 2026.

〈Sentimental Value〉 by Joachim Trier

〈Sentimental Value〉 depicts the tension and resolution between a father and daughter, exploring the relationship between a once-prominent film director father and his daughter, who has grown into a theater actress, reinterpreting the age-old theme of family drama. Renate Reinsve, who won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for 〈The Worst Person in the World〉 (2021), joins Trier's film once again as the daughter Nora. This film, praised for its deep composition and restrained direction, received the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It is imported by Green Narae Media.

〈Secret Agent〉 by Kleber Mendonça Filho

During the military dictatorship in Brazil in the 1970s, as the terror and oppression of the regime engulfed society, Armando (Agnor Moura), a professor of engineering, loses his workplace and loved ones. He flows into a temporary hideout for minorities who have gathered to escape state repression, and the voices of the small community left behind are recorded on tape, reaching college students living in 2020, half a century later. The way the past and present converse, the intertwining of political history and the individual, and the intersection of space and identity evoke memories of the recently released 〈I'm Still Here〉 (2024). This new work by Kleber Mendonça Filho, considered one of the most important contemporary South American filmmakers, won four awards at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, including Best Director and Best Actor. It is imported by Chanlan.