Busan International Film Festival press conference: Michelle Yeoh and Kore-eda Hirokazu to attend as record 315 films screen

95 world premieres ... An unrivaled scale for Asia's film hub

The 31st Busan International Film Festival, one of Asia's most prestigious film events, will open next month on a Tuesday with a record lineup of 315 films. This year's festival will draw leading figures from global cinema, including Michelle Yeoh, Isabelle Huppert and Kore-eda Hirokazu, putting Busan in the international spotlight like never before.

The Busan International Film Festival's executive committee held an official press conference Sept. 1 at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan, and laid out the event's key plans. The festival will screen 315 films this year, including 246 officially invited films from 59 countries. The most notable figure is the 95 world premieres, films being shown publicly for the first time anywhere. That is a remarkable achievement, surpassing pre-pandemic levels from 2019.

Fourteen acclaimed films will compete for the festival's top honor, the Busan Award Grand Prize, in the Competition section, a launching pad for new directors. The lineup includes films showcasing the strength of Korean cinema, such as Lim Ha-yeon's The Tae-joo of That Day and Yeom Gyu-bok's animated The Long, Long Night, as well as Bread and Books by Majid Majidi, offering diverse perspectives from across Asia. The executive committee said the aesthetic quality and narrative depth of the submitted films had advanced dramatically.

Icon section features a record 36 films, a showcase of masterpieces chosen by Cannes and Venice

The Icon section, which spotlights new work from the world's leading filmmakers, has assembled a record 36 films this year. They include Fjord by Cristian Mungiu, winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes; Suddenly My Illness Worsened by Hamaguchi Ryusuke, whose film produced the festival's best actress winner; and Bitter Christmas by Pedro Almodovar. These much-anticipated films, recognized at the world's three major film festivals, will meet audiences in Busan.

Two masters of Korean cinema have also joined the lineup. Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love, which has been selected for competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, and Hong Sang-soo's Nothing to Do With My Eyes, which won the Best Director and Best Performance awards for Kim Min-hee at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, will also premiere in the section, heightening cinephiles' anticipation.

Animation's breakthrough and the strategic shift to a Tuesday opening

Another highlight of this year's festival is the remarkable rise of animation. Reflecting the animation phenomenon that swept Asian theaters last year, organizers have planned a major special exhibition focused on Japan. In addition to 13 animated short and feature films in the special exhibition, 14 animated films have been given prominent placement in other sections. Executive Director Jeong Han-seok called the development "an unprecedented event in the history of the Busan International Film Festival" and declared the arrival of a global animation renaissance.

The festival has also introduced sweeping system changes to maximize convenience for audiences. Breaking decisively with the longstanding practice of opening on a Wednesday, it will make a bold Tuesday opening. The move anticipates the travel patterns of attendees who concentrate their visits early in the festival. In addition, screenings from Thursday through Sunday, when crowds are heaviest, will increase from four to five showings a day, significantly improving access.

Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian actress to win the Academy Award for best actress, will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award. Global masters including director Maggie Gyllenhaal and director Rintaro, along with top Korean stars Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung and Yoo Hae-jin, will also turn out in force, heating up the nights in Haeundae.