BIFF’s Final Days Bring New Films and Scene-Stealing Actors to Busan
With screenings through October 15 and a new round of actor conversations, BIFF’s closing stretch gives visitors and overseas viewers fresh ways to follow the festival.
The opening-night photographs have already made their rounds, but Busan’s film week still has several chapters left. The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs through October 15, and its final stretch offers a particularly useful entry point for visitors who want to spend time with films and the people who make them. As of October 12, screenings continue, actor conversations are beginning a new run, and the closing prizes remain ahead. BIFF’s official website.
This year’s scale rewards a little selectivity. BIFF lists 247 official selections from 59 countries, alongside 69 Community BIFF films. Its screening venues include Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City and LOTTE CINEMA Centum City, as well as other theaters around the city. Rather than trying to cover the whole program, build a day around one film, then see which conversation fits nearby. Festival overview.
A Korean debut to build a festival day around
One option is Lim Hayeon’s competition entry Beach Fictions. BIFF’s program describes a young woman, Tae-ju, leaving behind troubling rumors and encountering a novelist on a train. A beach, a magician and a guesthouse draw her into further meetings. That premise makes storytelling itself part of the attraction: the film follows a character whose life is already being shaped by stories other people tell about her.
The official listing gives the Korean film a running time of 144 minutes and schedules screenings at LOTTE CINEMA Centum City on October 12 at 10 a.m., in screen 7, and October 14 at 1 p.m., in screen 6. These are scheduled sessions, not a guarantee of seats. Check the film page and booking system before making the journey. Beach Fictions program and screening details.
For an international visitor, choosing a film also means checking its language and subtitle information. An English-language festival website does not by itself establish the language support for every screening or live event. Leave time to confirm the individual listing rather than relying on a title’s familiarity.
The supporting actors take the microphone
BIFF’s Scene Stealer conversations turn attention toward performers whose faces can be familiar long before their names are. At HANMAC SMOOOOOTH LOUNGE, Kim Kukhee is scheduled for October 12 from 2 to 2:30 p.m., followed by Kim Jaechul from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Gong Minjeung and Park Jiyeon follow on October 13, with Im Seongjae and Kim Junhan on October 14.
Another October 13 conversation brings together Kim Seul-gi and Kim A-young at 1 p.m. BIFF connects their appearances to BALER and The Sorry Generation, respectively, providing a route from the comedy of SNL Korea into their film work. The festival lists these sessions in Korean; English interpretation should not be assumed. All times here are Korea Standard Time, UTC+9, and the organizer warns that programs can change. Talk-to-Talk schedule.
Keep the live schedule close
There is a practical reason to check notices even after booking. On October 9, BIFF announced that Red Thread had been withdrawn for technical reasons. General screenings with codes 510 and 633 were automatically canceled with full refunds, while its place in midnight screening 168 was replaced by Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of The First Emperor. Anyone holding an affected booking should read the organizer’s complete notice. Cancellation and replacement announcement.
General screenings cost KRW 10,000. The official booking guide requires a new registration even for people who registered last year and allows up to two tickets per screening code. Use the official sales channel; availability can change as reservations are canceled. For ordinary cancellations, the deadline is 60 minutes before a screening, and fees depend on timing. Read the applicable conditions before paying, particularly for a last-minute booking. Booking information and official ticket site.
Following Busan from overseas
The festival’s official YouTube highlights offer a way into the week for readers elsewhere. The Day 5 and Day 4 videos below are organizer-produced glimpses of the 2026 event. They are useful companions to the program, rather than evidence that selected feature films are available to stream. For live coverage, check BIFF’s published streaming schedule and the official channel; availability and language support can vary. Streaming schedule.
The distinction matters as the festival moves toward its finish. Community BIFF’s October 8–11 program has ended, while the main festival continues through October 15. The Busan Award for Best Film and other closing-ceremony prizes belong to that final chapter. For now, the most interesting exercise is to choose what to see before the winners give everyone a ready-made list. Award categories.
Image sources and licenses: Busan Cinema Center.jpg, 399scout / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Busan Cinema Center Architecture 2.jpg, Qian Ding / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; Busan Cinema Center and Centum City Skyline at Night.jpg, Raja Syazwina RS / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.