The festival
BIFF is widely regarded as one of the largest and most influential film festivals in Asia. It has been named the only Asia-based festival among a small group of international festivals offering an eligibility pathway toward the International Feature Film Oscar, alongside Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance and Toronto. It has become a key launchpad for Asian filmmakers seeking international recognition.
Worth knowing
For its first 15 editions the festival centered on the Nampo-dong theater district, where the city named a street “BIFF Square.” In 2011 it moved to the purpose-built Busan Cinema Center, whose vast cantilevered roof is among the longest in the world.
How to attend
BIFF is open to the public, with individual screening tickets sold online and at festival box offices, typically going on sale in the weeks before opening.
Awards & submissions
BIFF’s signature award is the New Currents prize, an international competition recognizing the best first or second feature films by emerging Asian directors, with two winners chosen each year by an international jury. The festival also presents further honors, including audience and documentary awards, and hosts the Asian Contents & Film Market and the Asian Cinema Fund, which support development, production and post-production for filmmakers across the region; its Asian Film Academy trains new talent. The 2026 edition, its 31st, is scheduled for early-to-mid October in Busan. Filmmakers seeking a place in the programme submit through BIFF’s official call for entries, following the festival’s published rules and regulations; eligibility windows and deadlines are set annually on the biff.kr website. Public ticketing typically opens in the weeks before the festival.
Official site →Dates and programs change year to year — check the official site for the current edition.