The Busan International Film Festival has announced a comprehensive special program titled "Defining Moments of Asian Cinema" for its milestone 30th anniversary edition, featuring retrospective screenings and exclusive talks with prominent Asian filmmakers. The festival revealed the program details on Friday, highlighting its commitment to showcasing the finest achievements in regional cinema.
This retrospective represents the third installment of BIFF's acclaimed Asian Cinema 100 initiative, which was originally launched in 2015. The program builds upon two previous successful editions that surveyed the best Asian films in 2015 and the best Asian films directed by women in 2021. For this year's comprehensive survey, festival organizers conducted extensive research involving 161 film professionals from 34 countries to carefully select 119 outstanding titles that define Asian cinema.
Ten carefully chosen films from the comprehensive list will be screened during the festival, which is scheduled to run from September 17-26 across various venues throughout Busan. The screenings will be accompanied by special presentations and discussions with the filmmakers, providing audiences with unique insights into the creative processes behind these influential works.
A major highlight of the program will be the participation of acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who recently won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival for his work "It Was Just an Accident." Panahi will attend the festival to present his powerful 2011 documentary "This Is Not a Film," which was secretly filmed while he was under house arrest and banned from filmmaking by Iranian authorities. The documentary powerfully captures his frustration as an artist unable to create freely under oppressive circumstances.
BIFF previously honored Panahi by naming him Asian Filmmaker of the Year in July, recognizing his exceptional contributions to cinema. He holds the distinguished record of being the first Asian director to win top prizes at all three major European film festivals: Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. Fellow Iranian filmmaker Marziyeh Meshkiny will also participate in the program, presenting "The Day I Became a Woman," which won BIFF's prestigious New Currents Award in 2000.
The retrospective will feature an impressive lineup of renowned Chinese directors, including Jia Zhang-ke presenting "Still Life," Tsai Ming-liang with "Goodbye, Dragon Inn," and Wang Bing showcasing "Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks." Hong Kong's celebrated director Johnnie To will present his critically acclaimed film "Election," adding to the diverse representation of regional cinema.
Japanese cinema will be prominently featured with director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Oscar-winning "Drive My Car" screening alongside Hirokazu Kore-eda's touching drama "Nobody Knows." Actor Yuya Yagira will personally introduce "Nobody Knows," the film for which he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, making him one of the youngest winners in the category's history.
Korean cinema will be represented by two masterpieces that have gained international recognition: Park Chan-wook's revenge thriller "Oldboy" and Lee Chang-dong's mysterious drama "Burning." These selections demonstrate the global impact and artistic excellence of Korean filmmaking.
This retrospective program comes at a particularly significant time as BIFF introduces its first competitive section after operating as a non-competitive festival for 29 years. The new competition will focus exclusively on Asian films, further reinforcing the festival's long-standing commitment to promoting and celebrating regional cinema on the international stage.
The festival will present approximately 240 films this year, representing an increase from the 224 films screened last year. This expansion reflects the growing scope and influence of the festival as it enters its fourth decade. To complement the retrospective program, organizers will publish a commemorative publication featuring detailed information about all 119 selected films along with critical essays from film scholars and industry experts, providing lasting documentation of this significant survey of Asian cinema.
