BUSAN, Sept. 2 — The 31st Busan International Film Festival has unveiled a guest lineup that reads like a roll call of global cinema’s most celebrated names, with Isabelle Huppert, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Fan Bingbing and Michelle Yeoh headlining the event announced on Sep 1, 2026. At its heart, this year’s festival is a story of returns and reunions. Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for best actress, comes back to Busan after fifteen years to receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.
She also appears in the gala title “It’s My Time,” directed by Bai Xue, in which she plays a woman in her seventies. Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her first visit to Korea with “Flesh Impact,” a project marking the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth.
A Gala of Collaborations
The gala presentation section features five films, each with directors and casts in attendance. Huppert brings “All About Corinne,” directed by Marc Fitoussi in their fourth collaboration. Kore-eda Hirokazu presents “Look Back,” an adaptation of Fujimoto Tatsuki’s manga.
French filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s “A Girl’s Story” revisits the memories of Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, while July Jung’s “Dora” arrives fresh from its premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. Fan Bingbing joins Chinese stars Shu Qi and Zhou Xun in the festival’s orbit, and also curates a Carte Blanche selection featuring Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden.” Park is one of three Carte Blanche curators, alongside Korean auteur Kim Jeewoon.
Competition and Beyond
The competition section, BIFF’s main showcase for Asian cinema, presents fourteen films from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Indonesia. Four are directorial debuts, and four come from women filmmakers.
Iranian director Majid Majidi, known for “Children of Heaven,” makes his first trip to Korea with the competition entry “Midday Meal.” Other competition titles include Kato Takuya’s “The Day After Sunday,” Chen Jiwen’s “Descendants,” Gu You’s “The First Taste of Loneliness,” Hirose Nanako’s “Between Two Lovers,” Eddie Cahyono’s “Ibuku,” Okita Shuichi’s “Satoko Always,” Yosep Anggi Noen’s “The Sea Speaks His Name,” Kim Jung-hoon’s “Shaving” and Lee Yun Chan’s “To Be Ordinary.” Debut features come from Lim Hayeon, Botir Abdurakhmanov, Youm Kyubock and Tanaka Miki, with the section serving as the entry point for BIFF’s New Currents Award.
The Window on Asian Cinema section adds twenty-eight titles, including Wayne Wang’s “Diary of a Mad Old Man,” Kamila Andini’s “Four Seasons in Java,” Rima Das’ “Not a Hero” and Fujii Michihito’s “You, Like a Star.” The Icons section presents thirty-five films from masters including Hamaguchi Ryusuke, Pedro Almodóvar, Werner Herzog, Lukas Dhont, Cristian Mungiu and David Lowery. Hong Kong’s Ann Hui will accept the Camellia Award, while Indonesian icon Christine Hakim attends.
Animator Rintaro discusses “Metropolis,” Filipino director Lav Diaz returns after a decade, and Taiwan’s Tsai Ming-liang presents a new entry in his “Walker” series. Bertrand Mandico brings “Roma Elastica” starring Marion Cotillard.
Korean auteurs Lee Chang-dong and Na Hong-Jin round out the lineup alongside Kim Jeewoon. Japan sends a sizable delegation led by Nagasawa Masami, including Emoto Tasuku, Ishibashi Shizuka, Kuroki Haru, Yokohama Ryusei, Yamazaki Kento, Matsushita Kouhei, Sawajiri Erika, Maruyama Ryuhei and Nagayama Eita. Younger international names include Yeh Shuhua, Michelle Mao, Jin Ha and Thai star Davika Hoorne, setting up a festival that bridges generations and geographies alike.
