Busan International Film Festival to screen 13 Japanese animated films, including ‘Hakujaden,’ which moved Hayao Miyazaki to tears

The origins of Asian animation come back to the screen

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) secretariat officially announced on the 31st that it will hold a special program on Japanese animation at the 31st Busan International Film Festival, which opens Oct. 6, showcasing 13 films, including ‘Hakujaden’ (1958), Japan’s first color animated feature.

The program offers an in-depth look at the history and future of ‘Japanese animation,’ a globally renowned art form. It spans classic masterpieces that established the genre, recent works drawing attention from the international film community and European classics that provided crucial inspiration during the emergence of Japanese animation, adding scholarly and artistic value to the lineup.

One of the most anticipated films is ‘Hakujaden,’ directed by Daiji Yabushita. Based on a traditional Chinese folktale, the film is regarded as a landmark masterpiece that legendary director Hayao Miyazaki once said moved him to sob through the night after he watched it in high school.

The lineup also features enduring masterpieces, including director Eiichi Yamamoto’s ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ (1973), director Osamu Tezuka’s ‘Phoenix 2772: Space Firebird’ (1980), director Rintaro’s ‘Metropolis’ (2001) and director Kohei Kadokawa’s new film ‘We Are Aliens’ (2026).

Demonstrating the event’s stature, Rintaro, a master of Asian animation, will visit Busan in person. He will attend the special program alongside leading directors of today’s animation industry, including Kohei Kadokawa, Ryo Katanosaka, Shingo Natsume and Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, and take part in in-depth discussions with audiences.