[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) kicks off today (the 6th) for a ten-day run.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will kick off with an opening ceremony at the Busan Cinema Center at 7 p.m. on the 6th and will run through the 15th, welcoming audiences across Busan. This year’s festival is set to draw crowds by showcasing a diverse array of films and programs, including 246 officially selected titles.

This year’s lineup consists of 246 officially invited films. This is an increase of five films from last year and marks the largest scale since 2019. Including films screened as part of the affiliated “Community BIFF” program, a total of 315 films will be shown.

The biggest change at this year’s Busan International Film Festival is the leap in its international standing. The Busan International Film Festival was officially designated this year as an “A-list festival” by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). This places it on par with major international film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. Furthermore, the winner of the “Busan Award—Grand Prize,” the top prize in the competition section, is now eligible for submission to the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category, opening a path for Asian films discovered in Busan to advance onto the global stage.

The competition section, newly established last year, is now in its second year. This year, 13 films from various Asian countries are competing for the Busan Award in a fierce contest. Among the Korean entries are Director Kim Jeong-hoon’s *Shave*, Director Im Ha-yeon’s *Tae-ju of That Day*, and Director Yeom Gyu-bok’s animated film *The Long, Long Night*.

Also in the running are Nanako Hirose’s *Between Two Lovers*, Takuya Kato’s *The Day After Sunday*, Gu Yu’s *The Loneliness of First Encounters*, Botir Abdurakhmanov’s *Hilol*, Majid Majidi’s *Bread and Books*, Eddie Kayhono’s *My Mother*, Shuichi Okita’s *Satoko Is Always There*, Joseph Angi Noen’s *A Name Engraved on the Sea*, Miki Tanaka’s *Silver Express*, and Li Yunchan’s *To Be Ordinary*.

The opening film is Director Kim Jong-kwan’s *Day and Night Belong to Each Other*. Starring Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Jang Ryul, Shim Eun-kyung, and Lee Hee-joon, the film marks the start of this year’s Busan International Film Festival. In addition, a variety of Korean films will be presented to audiences, including Director Jeong Ju-ri’s “Dora,” “The Final Interview” starring Kim Jae-won and Jo Yi-hyun, and “Still Radiant,” marking Kim Hye-ja’s return to the big screen after nine years.

The “Icon” section, which showcases new works by world-renowned masters, has expanded from 33 films last year to 35 this year, setting a new record for the largest lineup in the festival’s history. New works by world-renowned directors—including “Fjord,” the Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as films by Andrei Zvyagintsev, Pavel Pavlikovsky, Pedro Almodóvar, and James Gray—will be screened in Busan. Works by Korean masters, such as Director Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love” and Director Hong Sang-soo’s “Nowhere to Look,” will also be featured.

In addition to these masters, global stars will also be making their way to Busan. Academy Award-winning actress Yang Zi-jing will visit Busan for the first time in 15 years to receive the “Asian Filmmaker of the Year” award, while actors Isabelle Huppert and Christine Hakim, and directors Majid Majidi, Lav Diaz, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Tsai Ming-liang will meet with audiences. From South Korea, directors Lee Chang-dong, Na Hong-jin, and Kim Ji-woon, along with actors Kim Go-eun, Kim Min-ha, Ryu Seung-ryong, Shin Min-a, and Ju Ji-hoon, will participate in various programs.

This year’s Busan International Animation Festival has also organized a special animation retrospective. In addition to 13 films highlighting the past and future of Japanese animation, a new “All-Night Animation” program has been introduced to explore current trends in animation alongside the audience. Furthermore, a rich lineup of programs where filmmakers and audiences can meet directly has been prepared, including open talks, Actors’ House, master classes, special talks, and outdoor stage greetings.

To expand viewing opportunities for audiences, this year’s Busan International Animation Festival has moved the opening day forward by one day, from Wednesday to Tuesday. From Thursday through Sunday—when attendance is highest—the number of daily screenings has been increased from four to five.

The Busan International Film Festival will be held throughout Busan until the 15th at venues including the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, Lotte Cinema Centum City, the Korean Film Council’s Standard Screening Room, the Sohyang Theater Woori Bank Hall, and the Busan Viewers’ Media Center Public Hall.