Busan International Film Festival 2026

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is Asia’s largest and most influential film festival. Founded in 1996 as the first international film festival in South Korea, it now screens more than 300 films from over 60 countries across 10 days in October. BIFF has a well-established reputation for launching Korean cinema to international audiences and for championing emerging directors from across Asia through its New Currents competition.

Venues and programme

The main venue is the Busan Cinema Center (Cinecube) in Centum City, a purpose-built complex with indoor screens and the landmark BIFF outdoor stage, which is used for opening and closing ceremonies. Additional screenings take place at Megabox Haeundae, Lotte Cinema Centum City and CGV Centum City, all within the Haeundae district. The smaller BIFF Mecenatpolis and Sobokmall venues in the Nampo-dong area also run parallel programming, connecting the festival to its original home neighbourhood.

The programme is divided into several sections: World Cinema, Korean Cinema Today (a showcase of new Korean features and shorts), Wide Angle (documentary and animation), and the Asian Film Market, which draws buyers and producers from across the industry. The opening night gala and red carpet ceremony is one of the highest-profile events on the Korean celebrity calendar and attracts significant media coverage.

Getting tickets

Tickets go on sale in advance online at biff.kr and through the Busan Cinema Center box office. Individual film screenings typically cost 8,000 to 12,000 KRW. Opening and closing ceremony tickets are separate, more expensive and sell out quickly. For popular screenings, especially Korean premieres, joining the online queue at the moment tickets open is necessary. Walk-up tickets are available for some screenings closer to showtime, but selection is limited.

Getting to Busan

From Seoul, KTX high-speed trains reach Busan Station in approximately 2 hours 10 minutes. From Busan Station, Subway Line 1 connects to the Nampo-dong area, while the BIFF venues in Haeundae are served by Subway Line 2 (Haeundae or Centum City stations). Busan is also easily reachable by domestic flight from Gimpo or Incheon airports.

October in Busan is typically mild and dry, making it one of the better months to visit the city. Evening temperatures drop to around 15°C, so a light jacket is worth packing for outdoor screenings. For more on visiting Busan and the wider region, see our practical travel guide.