KOR
Director July Jung's new film "Dora" has been officially invited to the Gala Presentation section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).
The Busan International Film Festival will run from its opening on Tuesday, October 6 to Thursday, October 15 around the Busan Cinema Center area, and "Dora" will meet domestic audiences for the first time as an Asian premiere.
"Dora" tells the story of a family that leaves Seoul and heads to a seaside villa in the middle of summer. While staying there, Dora, who has been suffering from an unknown illness, learns about love for the first time, and everything gradually begins to shake. Singer-turned-actor Kim Do-yeon and Japanese actor Ando Sakura star in the film.
After making its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, "Dora" will now be showcased to domestic and Asian audiences for the first time in Busan.
The Busan International Film Festival Gala Presentation is a flagship invitation section of the festival that introduces new works by master directors who have garnered attention at major international film festivals to domestic audiences for the first time. In recent editions, new works by leading Asian auteurs, such as director Koreeda Hirokazu's "MONSTER" (2023, 28th edition) and director Lee Sang-il's "Kokuho" (2025, 30th edition), met domestic audiences for the first time through this section.
Director July Jung's connection with the Busan International Film Festival dates back to her debut days. In 2007, her first short film "A Man under the Influenza" won the Sonje Award at the 12th Busan International Film Festival, and in 2014, her first feature film "A Girl at My Door" was invited to the "Korean Cinema Today - Panorama" section. She subsequently visited Busan with her second feature "Next Sohee" in 2022, and with this latest film "Dora," three of her feature films have now been consecutively invited to the Busan International Film Festival.
The Busan schedule for "Dora" begins with an outdoor stage greeting at the Busan Cinema Center Roof Theater outdoor stage at 11:00 AM on Thursday, October 8. A press screening will be held at CGV Centum City at 7:00 PM on the same day, followed by a press conference for the Gala Presentation section at the Busan Cinema Center BIFF Hill on the morning of Friday, October 9.
The first general screening will take place along with a stage greeting at 12:10 PM on Friday, October 9 at the Busan Cinema Center Haneulyeon Theater. Following barrier-free screenings on Monday, October 12 and another screening on Tuesday, October 13, a audience Q&A session attended by Director July Jung will be held at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, October 14 at the Busan Cinema Center Medium Theater.
"Dora" is scheduled for domestic theatrical release in 2027 following the Busan International Film Festival.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
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