The 26th Busan International Film Festival opened on October 6, 2021 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea with the South Korean film Heaven: To the Land of Happiness by Im Sang-soo. Park So-dam and Song Joong-ki hosted the opening of the festival, which was streamed live on YouTube.
In the 26th edition, 223 films from 70 countries were officially invited to the festival. 63 community service screenings were also part of the festival. In addition, this year BIFF opened two special programs, ‘New Voices, Chinese Films’ dedicated to emerging, talented Chinese directors, and the best Asian films by female directors, ‘Wonder Women Movies’, to highlight the contribution of female directors to the world of cinema. This edition of festival has constituted a new award 'Watcha Award' to be awarded to two selected films screened in the 'New Currents' section and the 'Korean Cinema Today-Vision' section. 22 short films official invited to the 'Wide Angle' competition section were screened online on YouTube and Naver.
'Vision Night' awards ceremony was held on October 14 in which winners of 'Korean Cinema Today - Vision Section' were announced. On October 15 in an online press conference the winners of 'New Currents' and other awards were announced and it was informed that 76,072 people visited the film festival in ten days. The festival closed on October 15 with closing ceremony hosted by Lee Joon-hyuk and Lee Joo-young and screening of film Anita by Longman Leung. South Korean film The Apartment with Two Women by Kim Se-in won five awards, including New Currents award.
Jury
New Currents (competition section) Deepa Mehta, Indian-Canadian, international master director, screenwriter, Head Juror Christina Nord, section head of the Berlinale Forum Jeong Jae-eun, South Korean film director
Kim Jiseok Award Reza Mirkarimi, Iranian film writer and director (Jury Chairman) Gulnara Abikiyeva, Kazakhstani film critic and professor Kim Haery, member of the editorial board of the film magazine Cine21 and film critic
BIFF Mecenat Award Nanfu Wang, Chinese-born American filmmaker Park Kyung-geun, director Mandy Marahimin, Indonesian film producer
Sonje Award Bastian Mayraison, France, Asian film consultant at various film festivals around the world (Executive Chairman, Terres d’Ici, Terres d’ailleurs) Royston Tan, Singaporean filmmaker, director, screenwriter, producer and actor Danbi Yoon, South Korean filmmaker
Actor and Actress of the Year Uhm Jung-hwa, South Korean singer, actress and dancer Cho Jin-woong, South Korean actor
FIPRESCI Award Nada Azhari Gillon, French film critic Wang Hsin, Taiwanese film critic Kim Nemo, Korean film critic
NETPAC Award Freddy Olsson, Swedish Senior Programmer, Göteborg Film Festival Mevlut Akkaya, Turkish/American director Yoo Sun-Hee, Korean Chairperson, Beautiful Hapcheon Independent Film Festival (BHIFF)
DGK MEGABOX Award Kim Jae-han, Korean director Jang Cheol-soo, Korean director
KBS Independent Film Award Kim Mu-ryeong, Korean producer Darcy Paquet, American film critic, translator Lee Jong-pil, Korea, director
CGK Award Kim Byeong-jeong, Korean cinematographer Back Yoon-seuk, Korean cinematographer Lee Seon-yeong, Korean cinematographer
Critic Award Gim Jiye-on, Korean film critic Park In-ho, Korean film critic Hong Eun-mi, Koream film critic
Program sections Sources:
The festival has the following sections: Gala Presentation Icons New Currents A Window on Asian Cinema Korean Cinema Today Panorama Korean Cinema Today Vision Section World Cinema Flash Forward Wide Angle Open Cinema Special Program in Focus New Voices, Chinese Films Wonder Women Movies On Screen: This showcases traditional theatrical releases and over the top media service (OTT) drama series as world premieres or Asia premieres.
Opening and closing films
Year English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Opening film 2020Heaven: To the Land of Happiness 헤븐: 행복의 나라로Im Sang-soo South KoreaClosing film 2021Anita 梅艷芳 Longman Leung Hong Kong
Gala Presentation Source: Year English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 2021Annette Leos Carax France 2021Drive My Car ドライブ・マイ・カーRyusuke Hamaguchi Japan 2021Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy 偶然と想像Ryusuke Hamaguchi Japan
Icons
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Ahed's Knee Nadav Lapid Israel, France, GermanyBergman Island Mia Hansen-Løve France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, MexicoCow Andrea Arnold United Kingdom Deception Tromperie Arnaud Desplechin France Everything Went Fine Tout s'est bien passé François Ozon FranceFrance Bruno Dumont France, Germany, BelgiumThe French Dispatch Wes Anderson United States Funny Boy Deepa Mehta Canada The Hand of God È stata la mano di Dio Paolo Sorrentino Italy A Hero قهرمان Asghar Farhadi Iran, France In Front of Your Face 당신얼굴 앞에서 Hong Sang-soo South Korea Introduction 인트로덕션 Hong Sang-soo South Korea Lingui, the Sacred Bonds Lingui Mahamat-Saleh Haroun Chad, France, Belgium, Germany Marx Can Wait Marx può aspettare Marco Bellocchio Colombia, Taiwan, France, Germany, Mexico, Qatar One Second 一秒钟 Zhang Yimou China, Hong Kong The Power of the DogJane Campion New Zealand, Australia Red Rocket Sean Baker United StatesSundown Michel Franco Mexico, France, Sweden Three Floors Tre piani Nanni Moretti Italy, France The Tsugua Diaries Diários de Otsoga Miguel Gomes, Maureen Fazendeiro Portugal, France Vortex Gaspar Noé France Yanagawa Zhang Lü China
New Currents This is the main competition section at BIFF, and showcases works by emerging Asian directors. Highlighted title indicates award winner
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)The Absent Director Arvand Dashtaray IranThe Apartment with Two Women같은 속옷을 입는 두 여자 Kim Se-in South KoreaAsteroid Mehdi Hoseinivand Aalipour IranFarewell, My Hometown Wang Er Zhou ChinaKalkokkho কালকোকখো Rajdeep Paul, Sarmistha Maiti IndiaMemoryland Miền Ký Ức Kim Quy Bui Vietnam, GermanyMissing Katayama Shinzo JapanPedro Natesh Hegde IndiaPhotocopierPenyalin Cahaya Wregas Bhanuteja IndonesiaRed Pomegranate Sharipa Urazbayeva KazakhstanSeire세이레 Park Kang South Korea
A Window on Asian Cinema Seven films were selected to compete for the Kim Jiseok award:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)24 Royston Tan Singapore, ThailandThe Bargain Wang Ki ChinaGensan Punch Brillante Mendoza PhilippinesNo Land's Man Mostofa Sarwar Farooki United States, Bangladesh, IndiaThe Rapist Aparna Sen IndiaRiverside Mukolitta 川っぺりムコリッタNaoko Ogigami JapanSughra and Her Sons Suğra və oğullarıIlgar Najaf Azerbaijan, France, Germany
Out of competition These films were screened 'out of competition' as part of A Window on Asian Cinema:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Anatomy of Time Jakrawal Nilthamrong Thailand, France, Singapore, NetherlandsAnnular Eclipse Zhang Chi ChinaAre You Lonesome Tonight? 热带往事Wen Shipei ChinaBallad of a White Cow قصیده گاو سفیدBehtash Sanaeeha, Maryam Moqadam Iran, FranceDays Before the Millennium Chang Teng-Yuan TaiwanDeep6 Madhuja Mukherjee IndiaThe Exam EzmûnShawkat Amin Korki Iraq, Germany, Qatar, Kurdistan The Falls 瀑布 Chung Mong-hong Taiwan Farha Darin J. Sallam Jordan, Sweden, Saudi Arabia Fire Aizhana Kassymbek Kazakhstan Haruhara-san's Recorder 春原さんのうた Kyoshi Sugita Japan Huda's Salon Hany Abu-Assad Palestine, Egypt, Netherlands In the Wake Takahisa Zeze Japan Increasing Echo Chienn Hsiang Taiwan Inu-Oh 犬王 Masaaki Yuasa Japan, China Moneyboys 尋找 C.B. Yi Austria, France, Belgium, Taiwan A New Old Play 椒麻堂會 Qiu Jiongjiong Hong Kong, France No Ground Beneath the Feet পায়ের তলায় মাটি নাই Mohammad Rabby Mridha BangladeshOn the Job: The Missing 8 Erik Matti Philippines Rehana Abdullah Mohammad Saad Bangladesh, Singapore, Qatar The Road to Kuthriyar Bharat Mirle India Shankar's Fairies Irfana Majumdar India Taste Vị Le Bao Vietnam Tengiz Mansur Abdukhalikov Uzbekistan Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas Edwin Indonesia, Singapore, Germany White Building ប៊ូឌីញ ស Kavich Neang Cambodia, France, China, QatarYuni Kamila Andini Indonesia, Singapore
Korean Cinema Today - Panorama Section Sources:
English title Original title Director(s)The Book of Fish자산어보Lee Joon-ikThe CaveLee Young-ahChun Tae-il태일이Hong Jun-pyoThe Contorted House 뒤틀린 집Kang Dong-hun The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey 방법: 재차의Kim Yong-wan Fairy요정Shin Tack-su The Girl on a Bulldozer 불도저에 탄 소녀Park Ri-woong Last FilmJeon Soo-il New Year Blues새해전야 Hong Ji-Young Night in Paradise 낙원의 밤Park Hoon-jungSinkhole싱크홀Kim Ji-hoonSpace Sweepers 승리호Jo Sung-hee Unframed언프레임드Park Jeong-min, Son Seok-koo, Choi Hee-seo, Lee Je-hoonUsuOh Sehyeon
Korean Cinema Today - Vision Section In 2021 this was expanded to 12 selections and showcased as world premiere. Highlighted title indicates award winner
English title Original title Director(s)A Bit Different 한 끗Lee Woo-dongChorokbam 초록밤Yoon Seo-jinThe Conversation 컨버세이션Kim DukjoongDoom Doom 둠둠Jung WonheeFilm for the Coming Winter 올 겨울에 찍을 영화Kim Kyung-raeHot in Day, Cold at Night 낮에는 덥고 밤에는 춥고Park Song-yeolA Lonely Island in the Distant Sea 절해고도Kim MiyoungNo Surprise 모퉁이Shin SunNobody's Lover 만인의 연인Han In-miNot One and Not Two 벗어날 탈 脫Seoh-hyeongSophie's World 소피의 세계Lee Jea-hanThrough My Midwinter 그 겨울, 나는Oh Seong-ho
World Cinema Source:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)(Im)PatientConstanza FernándezChileAfter Blue (Dirty Paradise) After Blue (Paradis sale)Bertrand MandicoFranceAli & Ava Clio Barnard United Kingdom Amparo Simón Mesa Soto Colombia, Sweden, QatarAs in Heaven Du som er i himlen Tea Lindeburg Denmark Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn Babardeala cu bucluc sau porno balamuc Radu Jude Romania, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Croatia The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic Sokea mies, joka ei halunnut nähdä Titanicia Teemu Nikki FinlandBlue Bayou Justin Chon United States Brigitte Bardot Forever Lech Majewski Poland Captain Volkonogov Escaped Капитан Волконогов бежал Natalya Merkulova, Alexey Chupov Russia, Estonia, France A Chiara Jonas Carpignano Italy Cop Secret Leynilöggan Hannes Þór Halldórsson Iceland Deserted Kadri Kõusaar Estonia, Sweden, Finland Dusk Stone Iván Fund Argentina, Chile, Spain Fabian – Going to the Dogs Fabian oder Der Gang vor die Hunde Dominik Graf Germany, France The Family Dan Slater Canada The Girl and the Spider Das Mädchen und die Spinne Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher Switzerland Good Mother Bonne mère Hafsia Herzi France Great Freedom Große Freiheit Sebastian Meise Austria, Germany Hive Zgjoi Blerta Basholli Kosovo, Switzerland, North Macedonia, Albania Hold Me Tight Serre-moi fort Mathieu Amalric France, Germany House Arrest Дело Aleksei Alekseivich German RussiaIl buco Michelangelo Frammartino Italy, Germany, FranceÎntregalde Radu Muntean Romania The Island Insula Anca Damian Romania, Belgium, France Magnetic Beats Les magnétiques Vincent Maël Cardona FranceNitram Justin Kurzel Australia The Odd-Job Men Sis dies corrents Neus Ballús SpainPassing Rebecca Hall United States Reflection Відблиск Valentyn Vasyanovych Ukraine Small Body Piccolo corpo Laura Samani Italy, France, SloveniaThe Souvenir Joanna Hogg United KingdomThe Souvenir Part II Joanna Hogg United Kingdom A Tale of Love and Desire Une histoire d'amour et de désir Leyla Bouzid FranceTitane Julia Ducournau France Vanishing Denis Dercourt France, South Korea The Worst Person in the World Verdens verste menneske Joachim Trier Norway
Flash Forward From this edition, this section has the films that have already won awards or become a hot topic at other film festivals. Highlighted title indicates award winner