The Busan International Film Festival has selected 23 titles for its Vision Korea and Vision Asia sections, complementing the festival’s expanded programming structure. The Vision sections, introduced last year, represent a component of the festival’s broader institutional overhaul that included establishing its first formal main competition category.
The Vision Korea section comprises 12 films, including entries from established and emerging Korean filmmakers. Park Kun-young returns with Things I Left at the Theater, a narrative about a film journalist pursuing an old friend’s short work. Jang Woojin contributes Cosmic Trace, examining themes of love, loss, and mortality. Kim Miyoung, whose prior work received recognition at the festival in 2023, presents Some Detective, while Shin Dongmin’s Not For You also appears in the selection. Both of the latter titles received production support from the festival’s Asian Cinema Fund.
The Vision Asia section features 11 films representing multiple countries across the region. Vietnamese director Nguyễn Hoàng Điệp contributes 1982, centered on a filmmaker’s search for her missing mother. Filipino filmmaker Arvin Belarmino offers Ria, exploring themes of cultural preservation. Mongolian director Sakhya Byamba, a past festival award recipient, returns with Zogsool, while Thai performer Inthira Charoenpura makes her directorial debut with Bua.
Separately, the festival announced Kim Jong-kwan’s The Table: Day and Night as its opening film, set to premiere on Oct. 6 at the Busan Cinema Center. The event will also honor several figures, including actor Michelle Yeoh with the Asian Filmmaker of the Year designation and filmmaker Ann Hui with the Camellia Award. The festival’s complete competition lineup remains forthcoming and will be unveiled on Sept. 1 in Seoul. The 31st edition of the festival runs Oct. 6-15.
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