[Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Closing Ceremony] Attendance Tops 200,000; Unanimous Grand Prize Winner ‘Bread and Book’ Eligible for Oscars Submission

The power of art transcends the pain of war as Asian masters unite

The 31st Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s largest film festival, concluded its 10-day run Thursday at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu. The closing ceremony, hosted solely by actor Im Si-wan, drew global attention as the jury announced the results of the competition honoring achievements in Asian cinema.

The Busan Award grand prize, given to the year’s best film, went to ‘Bread and Book’ by Iranian master director Majid Majidi, who is also well known in South Korea for his signature film ‘Children of Heaven.’ Majid Majidi, who received the trophy from last year’s winner, Chinese director Zhang Lu, moved the audience with a deeply personal acceptance speech.

“I hope for a world without war,” he said. “I dedicate this honor to the Iranian people who are still resisting oppression.” He added, “I lost my mother several months before filming this movie. The true protagonist of my films is my mother,” drawing an emotional response from the audience. With the grand prize, ‘Bread and Book’ is now eligible to be submitted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Renaissance after 11 years: 315 films and 200,000 moviegoers reaffirm festival’s value

Director Zhang Yimou, the internationally acclaimed Chinese filmmaker who chaired this year’s competition jury, praised the grand prize winner, ‘Bread and Book’, as “an excellent film selected unanimously by the jurors and the ideal movie I had envisioned in my heart.”

Winners in other major categories were also announced, highlighting the strength of Asian cinema. The directing award went to Li Yun-chan for the Taiwanese film ‘To Be Ordinary,’ while the acting award was shared by Zhou Xun of the Chinese film ‘The Loneliness of Our First Meeting’ and Himeno Kashun of the Japanese film ‘Satoko Is Always.’ The jury’s special award went to director Eddy Cahyono for the Indonesian film ‘My Mother.’

The Busan Award competition, introduced last year and now in its second year, further enhanced the festival’s prestige with what was regarded as a notably higher caliber of entries. Thirteen films from across Asia, including South Korea, competed fiercely, intensifying the festival atmosphere.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival, which opened Oct. 6 and completed its 10-day run, screened a total of 315 films at eight main theaters. Cumulative attendance topped 200,000 this year for the first time in 11 years, since 2015, cementing the festival’s standing as Asia’s leading film festival.