BIFF Unveils Vision Selections: Korean and Asian Independent Films Capturing Unique Perspectives

The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has unveiled 23 titles for its Vision sections, featuring independent films from Korea and across Asia.

The Vision section is a program dedicated to showcasing the latest independent cinema from Korea and Asia. It was reorganized last year as an expansive platform encompassing independent films from both regions as a whole. This year, a total of 23 films have been selected—12 for Vision – Korea and 11 for Vision – Asia—alongside various award categories designed to illuminate the achievements of both the works and their filmmakers from multiple angles.

A notable feature of this year's selections is the strong representation of multiple generations within Korean and Asian independent cinema, ranging from directors who have steadily built their own cinematic worlds to newly emerging talents. This reflects a focus not only on the present landscape of Asian cinema, but also on its future promise.

Director Kim Hyo-mi's feature debut, "Earworm," is an intriguing animation that depicts the coming-of-age journey of an aspiring novelist through bold imagination and distinct artwork. Director Park Kun-young, who has drawn acclaim with works such as "To Han River" (2019) and "Dust and Ashes" (2021), presents "Things Left in the Theater." Director Shin Dong-min's new film, "Not for You," portrays a journey of healing and mourning for those who have long condoned the pain of loss. Director Kim Mi-young, whose previous film "The Slug" (2023) earned critical acclaim and multiple awards including the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) Megabox Award at the Busan International Film Festival, visits Busan with "A Certain Detective." Both "Not for You" and "A Certain Detective" were selected for the 2026 Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) Post-Production Fund for Feature Independent Fiction Films.

Director Oh Se-hyun, whose film "The Apartment with Two Women" (2022) was invited to the 2021 Busan International Film Festival, quietly captures about a month spent in a rural village by a woman in her 30s standing at a turning point in life in her new film "Bailor." Director Park Song-yeol, who won the Critic b Award and the KBS Independent Film Award at the Busan International Film Festival with "Hot in Day, Cold at Night" (2022) to warm responses from audiences and critics alike, explores an expanded family landscape and the meaning of life beyond his previous work in "Beyond the Horizon of Love."

Director Sohn Hyun-rok, winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival, builds palpable tension in his new film "Bird" by tracking the truth behind a series of student falls. Director Park Hong-min, who has been active on the global stage including the Busan International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Vancouver International Film Festival, continues his uniquely original cinematic world by infusing everyday life with surreal imagination in "Space."

Director Shin Sun, who directed "Corner" (2022) and "Labyrinth" (2025), visits Busan with "Nothing Has Happened Yet," which follows a woman with the extraordinary ability to see the future as she confronts her own scars. Director Jang Woo-jin, who has garnered international attention through the Berlin International Film Festival alongside his BIFF awards history, examines the meanings of love, loss, coincidence, and inevitability in "Traces of the Universe." Director Jung Ji-hye's "Full Moon" delicately captures the process of a young girl who has hidden her parents from the gaze of others as she faces her crumbling world. Director Kim Si-jin steps into feature filmmaking with "Hwagoksa," an animation dealing with bizarre events unfolding at a crematorium.

In "1982," Vietnamese director Nguyen Hoang Diep explores inner scars and passion through the journey of a film director setting out to find her missing mother. Director Ryohei Kumamoto, who has worked as a commercial and music video director, portrays a teenager's coming-of-age growing pains amidst confusion regarding family in "After the Song Ends." Hong Kong director Isabella Lam Lok-hin's feature debut, "Dead End," closely captures a man's psychological anxiety as he confronts events in his unconscious triggered by the sudden appearance of a half-brother.

"Liya" by Arvin Belarmino, one of the most prominent emerging talents in Philippine cinema, depicts a folk punk musician's struggle to protect her music and livelihood. "Stand Still" by Mongolian director Sahiya Byamba, who won the New Currents Award in 2013 with "Remote Control," satirically captures how the controlled and oppressive order of an isolated gas station is shaken by the arrival of a stranger. Mani Moghadam's feature debut, "Daydream," gazes at the unstable and oppressive reality of Iran through a perspective of magical realism. "Bua," a feature directorial debut by acclaimed Thai actor Intira Charoenpura and co-director Pensiri Klangsurin, deals with the heartbreaking coming-of-age story of a mixed-race girl.

Indian director Sailesh Ratnakumar poses questions about the weight of life—including migration, labor, love, and compassion—in his debut feature, "Selby." Meanwhile, Indian director Shashank Walia, who has drawn attention through collaborations with major global film festivals and Netflix as a writer and cinematographer, infuses philosophical messages into striking imagery in his feature directorial debut, "Birds in the Dark."

Kazakhstani director Darkhan Tulegenov, whose work has earned critical acclaim at leading international film festivals, presents "Umbilical Cord," the story of a woman struggling to prove her son's innocence. Director Takenoshin Yaza, who made his name in the film industry at age 16 by directing a documentary on nuclear power, charts another journey of realizing the weight and responsibility of life through a unique perspective in "Illusionary Light."

Raising anticipation with the unveiling of its Vision section works, the 31st Busan International Film Festival will run from Tuesday, October 6 to Thursday, October 15 at the Cinema Center and across various areas in Busan.

(Reported by Kim Ji-hye, SBS Entertainment News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.