Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)
부산국제영화제
Asia's largest and most prestigious film festival. Ten days of premieres, retrospectives, and director Q&As at the Busan Cinema Center and surrounding venues.
Founded in 1996, BIFF is the festival circuit's window into Korean and broader Asian cinema. The Busan Cinema Center (Dureraum), a futuristic venue with a 163-meter cantilever roof, anchors the festival; outdoor screenings on Haeundae Beach are a fan favorite. Tickets for headline screenings sell out within minutes of release.
Busan Cinema Center is at Centum City Station (line 2). KTX from Seoul (~2.5 hours) to Busan Station, then ~25 minutes by metro to Centum City. Haeundae beach screenings are at Haeundae Station (line 2).
All films have at least Korean subtitles; many have English subtitles (filter by 'English subtitles available' on the booking site). Tickets open in late September on biff.kr; create an account in advance. Book Busan accommodation 2+ months out.
https://www.biff.kr/