BUSAN — The 31st Busan International Film Festival closed on the 15th after establishing itself as one of the world's top-tier film events. The festival this year was elevated to "A-list" status, the highest grade awarded by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, placing it among the six major festivals alongside Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance and Toronto.
The festival's organizing committee said at a closing news conference at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae District that total admissions reached 200,043 this year. It was the first time attendance surpassed 200,000 since 2015.
Official invited films drew 185,239 admissions, while Community BIFF and Dongne Bangne BIFF, a neighborhood screening program, attracted 5,186 and 9,618 respectively. Including 76,984 people who attended program events and side activities, total participation reached 277,027 — about 40,000 more than at the 30th edition last year.
The committee attributed the increase to operational changes, including moving the opening day forward from Wednesday to Tuesday and raising the number of daily screenings from four to five between Thursday and Sunday. Office workers who used the holiday period to visit the festival were able to stay in Busan from weekdays through the weekend and see more films, which also helped.
A total of 315 films were screened at eight theaters across Busan this year. Of the 246 official invited titles, 94 were world premieres.
The Asian Contents & Film Market, where film industry professionals gather, was also busy. The event, held at BEXCO in Haeundae District, drew 30,484 visitors, with 339 companies from 32 countries taking part across 129 booths.
Major figures from the global film industry turned out in force. Attendees included actor Michelle Yeoh, winner of this year's Person of the Year in Film award; director Ann Hui, recipient of the Camellia Award; and Kim Dong-ho, former BIFF chairman, who received the Korean Cinema Achievement Award. Director Alfonso Cuaron, making his first official visit to Korea, was joined by overseas directors and actors including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Isabelle Huppert, Zhou Xun, Fan Bingbing, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Majid Majidi, Lav Diaz and Rintaro. Korean participants included directors Lee Chang-dong, Na Hong-jin, Kim Jee-woon, Im Kwon-taek, Chung Ji-young, Bae Chang-ho and Lee Myung-se, along with actors Sol Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Jo Yeo-jeong and Jo In-sung.
Still, political controversy surrounding the film "Assassin(s)" left disappointment, as some events were canceled, including the lead actors' festival appearances and stage greetings. Asked about criticism that the festival had not given adequate answers at the opening film news conference, Executive Director Jung Han-seok said the actor's personal safety was under threat at the time. "We responded cautiously to prevent remarks made publicly without sufficient discussion from escalating into threats to personal safety or becoming a tool in political disputes," Jung said. "At the competition section news conference the following day, we answered related questions fully."
The closing ceremony also revealed the results of the competition section. Thirteen Asian films were invited to compete this year, with Chinese director Zhang Yimou serving as jury president. Winners receive the Busan Award, and the grand prize winner qualifies for submission to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
Jung said the head of the Academy's international feature film category visited the festival this year and held discussions with the executive committee. "We agreed to move forward with specific details going forward," he said.