Busan International Film Festival Joins 'A-List' Ranks... 'The Assassin(s)' Events Canceled

[Anchor]

The Busan International Film Festival has kicked off. Starting this year, the winner of the competition section's grand prize will be eligible to submit to the Academy Awards. Meanwhile, events related to the controversial film "The Assassin(s)" have been canceled.

Reporter Lee Joo-hyoung has the details.

[Reporter]

Growing over the span of 30 years into Asia's premier film festival, the Busan International Film Festival has announced the opening of its 31st edition.

The aftermath of the controversy surrounding "The Assassin(s)" has also reached the film festival.

Scheduled appearances by the film's production team, including director Hur Jin-ho and actor Yoo Hai-jin, for the opening ceremony and stage greetings were canceled.

Festival organizers stated that while the cancellation of the events is regrettable, they respect the production team's position and have no specific official stance to express regarding the controversy over "The Assassin(s)".

This year, 2026, marks a turning point for the Busan International Film Festival.

The festival has joined the ranks of the world's 17 "A-list" film festivals selected by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

Starting this year, BIFF has also been included among six film festivals granted eligibility by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—which oversees the Academy Awards—to submit entries separately from each country's single official submission.

[Jeong Han-seok / Busan International Film Festival Programming Director : While the international status of the Busan International Film Festival is not determined solely by these two pieces of news, it is significant because it shows that the international influence held by the Busan Film Festival is receiving broad recognition.]

If a South Korean film wins the "Busan Award Grand Prize," the top honor in the competition section, it will be eligible to be submitted alongside director Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love" for the International Feature Film category at next year's Academy Awards.

At the opening ceremony, the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award was presented to Michelle Yeoh, an actor well known to us as a Hong Kong film star and the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Drawing a large gathering of star filmmakers from both the East and the West this year, the Busan International Film Festival will screen approximately 300 films from 59 countries.

(Photo courtesy of: Naver, Video reporting: Lee Byung-joo, Video editing: Seeun Shin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.