Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s drama Midday Meal won the top award at South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival on Thursday. The victory also gives the film automatic eligibility for the Academy Awards’ international feature category. The award marks a major achievement for the Iranian production at one of Asia’s largest film festivals.
A jury led by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou selected the winning film from 13 competing titles. The lineup included three South Korean productions. Majidi’s drama follows a teacher in a poor Iranian village who turns to smuggling to keep his school running. The story explores the difficult choices facing the teacher as he struggles to support the school.
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Accepting the award through an interpreter, Majidi credited his late mother for inspiring the film. He said her love and energy had influenced him before filming began. His mother died a few months before production started. The filmmaker also praised Iranians for continuing to persevere despite difficult circumstances.
Majidi referred to the ongoing conflict with the United States, years of economic sanctions and limited access to medicine. His comments highlighted the challenges facing people in Iran. However, the award announcement focused primarily on the film’s achievement and its new eligibility for Oscar consideration.
The win comes after changes to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ selection rules in May. Under the revised system, winning at any of six designated film festivals grants a production immediate eligibility. Busan joins festivals including Cannes and Berlin on that list. Previously, each country could submit only one film through an Academy-approved selection committee.
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The Academy will eventually narrow the eligible entries to five nominees in the international feature category. Meanwhile, Busan’s 31st edition opened with Kim Jong-kwan’s Korean drama The Table: Day and Night. The festival also honoured filmmaker Ann Hui with the Camellia Award for empowering women in the industry.
Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year prize. Organisers said the festival screened 315 films, including 246 officially selected titles, its largest lineup since 2019. More than 200,000 visitors attended this year’s event, according to organisers.