BIFF 2026 Opening Ceremony Oct. 6: Lineup, Guests, Schedule
The 31st Busan International Film Festival opens Tuesday night without the cast of the film that currently leads the Korean box office.
Hive Media, the production company behind "The Assassin(s)," said Oct. 2 that it would skip the opening ceremony and the Oct. 7 outdoor stage greeting, citing the safety of audiences and attendees. Director Hur Jin-ho and actors Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho had been scheduled to appear. Lee's Actor's House session on Oct. 7 was also canceled.
The film opened Sept. 23 and has faced allegations that it distorts the 1974 shooting that killed first lady Yuk Young-soo. Its production team has said it did not intend to draw a new historical conclusion or deny established facts. It sold 412,012 tickets over the Oct. 2-4 weekend and has passed 2.23 million admissions, according to Korean Film Council data reported by Variety.
The ceremony starts at 6 p.m. KST at the Busan Cinema Center. Actress Kim Min-ha hosts and also stars in the opening film, Kim Jong-kwan's "The Table: Day and Night," an 80-minute world premiere of four love stories set in a cafe. Ann Hui receives the Camellia Award at the ceremony, and Alfonso Cuarón attends with his son, Jonás, on his first trip to Korea, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
For U.S. readers, the news is on the awards side. Busan has been classified as an "A-list" festival from 2026, alongside Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno and San Sebastian. Under revised Academy rules, the winner of the Busan Award for best film in Competition now qualifies for the International Feature Film category without an official national selection. Zhang Yimou presides over the Competition jury.
The program runs 315 films: 246 official selections from 59 countries, including 95 world premieres, plus 69 Community BIFF titles. Michelle Yeoh receives the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. Isabelle Huppert, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Fan Bingbing are on the guest list, and Charlotte Gainsbourg talks with Jung Eun-chae on Oct. 8 after a screening of "Melancholia."
Korean titles include Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love," Hong Sang-soo's "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" and Na Hong-jin's "Hope," plus a Na master class. The On Screen section shows episodes of Disney+'s "The Remarried Empress" and Netflix's "Dead-End Job" and "Blue Road." Six films mark the late actor Ahn Sung-ki, who died in January.
Yim Si-wan hosts the closing ceremony on Oct. 15. The Asian Film Market runs Oct. 10-13.
"The Table: Day and Night" screens again Oct. 8 at 11:20 a.m. at Sohyang Theater Woori Bank Hall.
