[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “Please join us in watching to see how far this film will reach beyond Busan into the wider world.”

Iranian master director Majid Majidi made these remarks on the afternoon of the 15th after receiving the Grand Prize—the festival’s top honor—for his film “Bread and Books” at the closing ceremony of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) held at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan.

Director Zhang Yimou, who served as the jury president for the competition section, explained, “The decision was made unanimously by the entire jury.” Hosted solely by actor Im Si-wan, the closing ceremony featured the presentation of the Busan Awards across five categories: Grand Prize, Best Director, Special Jury Prize, Best Actor, and Lifetime Achievement Award.

In particular, the festival’s international standing has risen as, starting this year, the winner of the “Busan Award Grand Prize”—the top prize in the competition section—is eligible for submission to the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category.

Director Majid Majidi, noting that this was his first time attending the Busan International Film Festival, said, “I am very pleased to receive such an honor on my first visit here.” He then addressed Director Zhang Yimou, saying, “I express my deep gratitude and respect to our master director. I have learned a great deal from him.”

His joy at winning the award led him to express gratitude to the audience, his family, and his late mother. Director Majid Majidi conveyed special thanks to the audience, saying, “The audience is the protagonist of the film. It is because of you that the film lives and breathes.”

Director Majid Majidi also paid tribute to his mother. “The protagonist of my film is my mother,” he said. “She is a hero in all of our lives,” he added, revealing, “I lost my mother a few months before filming this movie.” He continued, “It was thanks to my mother’s energy and prayers that I was able to pour such great love and emotion into this film.”

The honor of the award also extended to the Iranian people. Director Majid Majidi emphasized, “The Iranian people are resisting oppression,” adding, “For the past 48 years, they have been subjected to all manner of harsh economic sanctions and are unable to obtain even basic medicines. Yet the Iranian people have never surrendered.”

He also mentioned the casualties caused by the war. Noting that innocent students had been killed and that some bodies had yet to be found, he said, “We will stand firm and fight to regain our independence.” He continued, “I hope for a world without war. I pray for a future filled with peace, love, and brotherhood on this Earth.”

◇Busan Awards in Its Second Year: A Global Leap Toward the Oscars
The competition section, newly established last year, marks its second year this year. This year, 13 films from various Asian countries competed for the Busan Awards in a fierce contest. The Korean entries included △“The Shave” (directed by Kim Jeong-hoon), △“Tae-ju of That Day” (directed by Im Ha-yeon), and △“The Long, Long Night” (directed by Yeom Gyu-bok).

In addition, the following films were nominated: △*Between Two Lovers* (directed by Nanako Hirose) △*The Day After Sunday* (directed by Takuya Kato) △*The Loneliness of First Encounters* (directed by Gu Yu) △*Hill Roll* (directed by Botir Abdurakhmanov) △*Bread and Books* (directed by Majid Majidi) △*My Mother*(directed by Eddie Kahyono) △ “Satoko Is Always There” (directed by Shuichi Okita) △ “A Name Engraved on the Sea” (directed by Joseph Anggi Noen) △ “Silver Express” (directed by Miki Tanaka) △ “To Be Ordinary” (directed by Li Yun-chan) were screened for audiences.

The competition jury consisted of seven members, including Director Zhang Yimou, as well as Bigan, Samal Yeslamova, Kei Ishikawa, Jung Ju-ri, Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, and Choi Hee-seo. Starting this year, the Grand Prize winner of the Busan Awards is eligible for submission to the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category, making the Busan International Film Festival’s competition section a new springboard for Asian films to enter the international market.

Starting this year, the Busan International Film Festival has also been selected as an “A-List Festival” by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). “A-List” is the highest ranking awarded to only 17 of the 49 FIAPF-accredited film festivals worldwide, and the Busan International Film Festival is the only Korean film festival to have received this designation.

◇ Asian Masters and Stars Gathered… Even “Tear-Jerking” Acceptance Speeches
Host Lim Si-wan began by saying, “Ten days ago, actress Kim Min-ha opened this event by declaring, ‘I will not remain where I am but take a step toward the world.’”

He continued, “Tonight is the moment to see just how far that single step has taken us,” adding, “Over the past ten days, countless stories were born, met, and clashed in this city. And today, some are preparing to set out from Busan into the wider world. We would like to see them off together with all of you.”

On this day, the Special Jury Prize was awarded to director Eddie Kayono for *My Mother*. Referring to director Zhang Yimou, who presented him with the trophy, he said, “I was influenced by Director Zhang Yimou’s films.” He then expressed special gratitude for having kept his promise to lead actress Christine Hakim.

The Best Director Award went to Li Yun-chan for *To Be Ordinary*. Director Li Yun-chan, who had won the New Currents Award as a rookie director 20 years ago, was honored with the Best Director Award at the Busan Film Awards. She appeared wearing the same dress she had worn when she attended the festival two decades earlier. “I will continue to make films,” she said in her acceptance speech.

The Best Actor and Best Actress awards went to Zhou Xun, the lead in *The First Time I Met Loneliness*, and Kasumi Himeno, the lead in *Satoko Is Always There*.

First, Zhou Xun said, “I’m very happy to be standing on this stage,” and credited Director Gu You and everyone who worked on the film. She added, “I’ve come to realize that life is full of changes. This film also began with those changes.” Zhou Xun also expressed her gratitude to her parents and appeared visibly moved.

Kasumi Himeno shed tears of joy the moment she stepped onto the stage. She greeted the audience in Korean, saying, “Hello.” She continued, “I was truly surprised to receive this award,” adding, “This is my first time attending a film festival like this, and the response from the Korean audience has been so warm.” She concluded, “I hope I can continue acting even when I become a grandmother. I will cherish every moment of acting and reflection.”

The Artistic Contribution Award, presented by cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, was received by Li Danfeng, the sound director of the film *The Loneliness of First Encounters*. Li Danfeng said, “First, I’d like to thank Director Gu Yu,” adding, “I’ve been working hard to create new films, and that fact is very moving.”

The New Currents Award—a separate category from the Busan Awards, presented to one of the debut films by a first-time director—went to *Birds in the Dark* by director Shashank Walia. Director Shashank said, “I believe filmmaking is a process that must be continually practiced and matures alongside every film we create,” adding, “I would like to dedicate this to everyone who made this possible. I hope we can create a better world for our Susuro,” he said in his acceptance speech.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival, which opened on the 6th, concluded successfully with a total attendance of approximately 277,000. This marks the first time in 10 years—since 2015—that the number of film festival attendees alone has exceeded 200,000.