The 31st Busan International Film Festival opens on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, and runs for ten days through Thursday, October 15, around the Busan Cinema Center in Busan. At a press conference held by the organizing committee at the Busan Cinema Center on September 1, this year's official invitation was announced as 246 films from 59 countries. It is the largest lineup since 2019, and the actual number of screenings is 315.
The opening day of the week has changed. Breaking with the practice of opening on a Wednesday, the festival starts a day earlier, on a Tuesday. The adjustment adds one more viewing day between the opening and the first weekend. On the four days from Thursday to Sunday, when audiences are heaviest, daily screening slots increase from four to five.
The opening film is director Kim Jong-kwan's 「Day and Night, to Each Other」. It is set in a cafe during the turn from summer to autumn, and Kim Min-ha plays the lead. Kim Min-ha will also host the opening ceremony. Actor Im Si-wan has been named host of the closing ceremony, where the "Busan Award" ceremony for the competition section newly created last year will also be held. Fourteen films have made the competition section in its second year.
The official poster was unveiled on August 7. Its central motif is "the crowd," capturing the audiences who came to last year's festival. It was planned and designed by director Choi Soon-dae, who has served as the festival's art director since its second edition. He said, "What has completed the festival has always been the presence of the audiences who filled the seats." At the center of this year's poster is the audience.
Six actors, Kim Go-eun, Kim Min-ha, Ryu Seung-ryong, Shin Min-a, Lee Min-ho and Ju Ji-hoon, will take part in "Actor's House," where actors speak about their own acting careers. The lineup was announced on August 27. The Asian Filmmaker of the Year award went to Michelle Yeoh, who is visiting Busan for the first time in 15 years.
This year Busan newly joined the 17 festivals given the top grade by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. The winner of the competition section's top prize will be eligible for submission to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in the United States. Chairman Park Kwang-su said at the press conference that this was the first time the festival had been officially evaluated by film festivals around the world.
The screening schedule will be released at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 11. Ticketing is divided into two rounds. In the first round at 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, seats open for the opening and closing ceremonies, Open Cinema outdoor screenings, Midnight Passion, Actor's House and Community BIFF. The second round at 2 p.m. on Monday, September 21, covers general screenings, Cine Class and Master Class. Tickets are sold only on the official website, and up to two tickets may be bought per screening code. Cancellation and refunds are possible up to 60 minutes before a screening starts, with a fee depending on the timing. On-site sales are limited to seats that went unsold online or were cancelled. There are 11 barrier-free screenings. Inquiries can be made at the call center, 1666-9177.
Event information
Dates: October 6 (Tue) - October 15 (Thu), 2026, 10 days
Venue: Around the Busan Cinema Center, Busan
Organizer: Busan International Film Festival Organizing Committee
Screening schedule release: September 11 (Fri), 5 p.m.
Ticketing: Round 1 September 17 (Thu), 2 p.m. · Round 2 September 21 (Mon), 2 p.m., official website
Inquiries: 1666-9177
