The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is running from October 6–15, 2026. While the red carpets will draw massive crowds, the festival is quietly focusing on a much bigger goal: securing the future of Asian cinema. By expanding its educational programs and business market, BIFF 2026 is actively ensuring that the next generation of Asian storytellers gets both the creative skills and financial backing they need to succeed.

A strong win-win collaboration is renewed in Busan, the artistic growth begins at the CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy (BAFA), which officially held its opening ceremony for this edition on September 26, 2026. Celebrating its 20th anniversary with a newly updated format, this academy brings together 24 promising filmmakers from all over Asia. The academy pairs these young talents with established masters of world cinema.

This year, the curriculum introduces a major shift, focusing on the production of a “pilot short”, a five-minute proof-of-concept designed to demonstrate the potential of a feature-length project. Through these workshops, masterclasses, and hands-on shoots, fellows refine their creative voices while building a lifelong peer network.

Great art cannot survive without a marketplace, which is where the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) comes in, running from October 10–13 at BEXCO. This year, the market has expanded significantly to feature dozens of industry programs. The ACFM acts as a business hub where creative ideas meet financial backing. Here, film scripts, book rights, and webtoons are pitched, bought, and co-produced. By creating this bridge, the festival ensures that the raw talent discovered at the academy has a direct path to global distribution, securing the financing needed to bring their stories to screens worldwide.

Mandula Naren