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Actor Yim Si-wan hosts the closing ceremony of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. <Yonhap News Agency>

The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) wrapped its 10-day run with a closing ceremony on Oct. 15. The Busan Award for Best Film, the top prize in the Competition section, went to Iranian director Majid Majidi’s Midday Meal. This was the first year the Best Film winner became eligible for submission to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, making Midday Meal the first title to take that route.

This year’s festival was also the first held since the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) overhauled its accreditation system. FIAPF merged its four previous categories, including competitive and non-competitive festivals, into a single list, and named Busan one of 17 A-list festivals alongside Cannes, Berlin and Venice. In 1997, BIFF became the first Korean film festival to receive FIAPF accreditation. The Competition section was introduced at last year’s 30th edition, making this its second year. Chinese director Zhang Yimou served as jury president.

Three Korean Titles Among 13 in Competition

Thirteen Asian films competed for awards in five categories. The Korean entries were Youm Kyu-bock’s animated feature Long Long Night, Kim Jung-hoon’s Shaving and Lim Hayeon’s Beach Fictions. Taiwanese director Lee Yun Chan won Best Director for To Be Ordinary. The Best Actor award went to two performers: Chinese actor Zhou Xun for The First Taste of Loneliness and Japanese actor Kashun Himeno for Satoko Always.

The seven-member jury included Korean director July Jung and actor Moon Choi (Choi Hee-seo). Zhang said the jury chose Midday Meal unanimously. The film, which had its world premiere at the festival, follows a teacher at a rural school who struggles to protect his students’ meals and lessons. Before its Academy submission is confirmed, however, the film must meet requirements including a theatrical release in its home market, and it will be considered through a pathway separate from each country’s official selection.

Kim Jong-kwan’s ‘The Table: Day and Night’ Opened the Festival

The festival opened on Oct. 6 with Kim Jong-kwan’s The Table: Day and Night. The anthology film weaves together conversations between four couples at a single café as the seasons change, with a cast that includes Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa and Shim Eun-kyung. At a press conference on opening day, Kim described the film as a story about small, ordinary things.

Michelle Yeoh and Fan Bingbing Name the Korean Filmmakers They Admire

Malaysian actor Michelle Yeoh received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at the opening ceremony. At a press conference on Oct. 7, she said she would like to work with directors Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho. At a separate press conference the same day, Chinese actor Fan Bingbing brought up Lee’s Possible Love, which she had seen at the Toronto International Film Festival. She said she envied the way its actors seemed to swim freely through the film. Possible Love won the Grand Jury Prize in the Competition section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival this year.

Sources

• Busan Metropolitan City, “[BIFF Press Release] BIFF Officially Recognized as an FIAPF A Festival,” 2026.04.13

• Kookmin Ilbo, “Shoulder to Shoulder With Cannes and Berlin: BIFF Opens With Raised Stature,” 2026.10.07

• Kookmin Ilbo, “Opening Film ‘The Table: Day and Night’ Shows Kim Jong-kwan’s Style at Its Most Mature,” 2026.10.07

• Kookmin Ilbo, “Michelle Yeoh and Fan Bingbing in Busan: ‘Beyond Asia to the World’ and ‘Envious of Korean Cinema,’” 2026.10.07

• SBS, “‘A Film Like a Gift’: ‘The Table: Day and Night’ Screens as BIFF Opening Film,” 2026.10.07

• Yonhap News Agency, “Fan Bingbing: ‘Stunned by the Acting in Possible Love; AI Cannot Replace Actors,’” 2026.10.07

• The Korea Times, “Actor Michelle Yeoh sees endless possibilities after receiving BIFF award,” 2026.10.07

• Kyunghyang Shinmun, “BIFF Closes; Iranian Film ‘Midday Meal’ Wins Busan Award for Best Film,” 2026.10.15

• The Film Verdict, “Busan 2026: The Awards,” 2026.10.15

• The Herald Business, “BIFF Closes; Top Prize Goes to Iranian Master’s ‘Midday Meal,’” 2026.10.16