The curtains came down on the 30th Busan International Film Festival on Friday evening with a dazzling closing ceremony at the sleek Busan Cinema Center, where the winners of the festival’s first-ever official competition – the Busan Award – were announced alongside long-standing honors such as the New Currents, BIFF Mecenat, and Sonje prizes.
Heading the main jury was acclaimed Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin (The Wailing), who presided over a panel that also included Hong Kong icon Tony Leung Ka-fai, Indian actor-director Nandita Das, Iranian auteur Marziyeh Meshkini, Korean-American filmmaker Kogonada, Indonesian producer Yulia Evina Bhara, and Korean actress Han Hyo-joo.
The inaugural Busan Award for Best Film went to Chinese-Korean veteran director Zhang Lu for Gloaming in Luomu. The lyrical yet politically charged drama unfolds in a remote border town, portraying residents grappling with the heavy weight of historical trauma.
The film was praised for its poetic narrative fused with sharp social commentary, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Taiwan’s Shu Qi, making her debut as a director after years as a leading actress, received the Best Director Award for Girl. The coming-of-age tale, set in 1980s Taipei, follows a teenager yearning to escape an abusive household.
Shu revealed the story was deeply personal, reflecting her own adolescence, and noted it had been over a decade in the making.
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Funky Freaky Freaks by Korean filmmaker Han Chang-lok, a biting dark comedy spotlighting Seoul’s outsiders and eccentrics.
Acting honors were shared across borders. Rising Korean performer Lee Jiwon won Best Actor for her breakout role in En Route To. Meanwhile, Japanese actors Kitamura Takumi, Ayano Go, and Hayashi Yuta collectively earned the award for their ensemble performance in Baka’s Identity.
The Artistic Contribution Award went to Chinese production designers Tu Nan and Liu Qiang for their evocative world-building in Bi Gan’s visually arresting Resurrection.
The New Currents Award – BIFF’s long-established section for emerging Asian voices – reinforced the breakout momentum of Yoo Jaein’s En Route To, which took home the top prize.
Documentaries were honored with the BIFF Mecenat Award. Korea’s Ju Romi and Kim Taeil won for Raining Dust, while Kurdish-Iranian director Hemen Khaledi was recognised for Singing Wings. Relay Race by Korean filmmaker Ko Hyoju received a special mention.
In the short film category, the Sonje Awards went to It Sounds Louder on Rainy Days by Korea’s Kim Sang-yun and Delay by China’s Wang Han-xuan. A special mention was given to Japanese director Kawazoe Aya for Interface.
The landmark 30th edition of BIFF, running from September 17 to 26, featured more than 200 films from around the world. Once again, it cemented Busan’s role as East Asia’s largest hub for global cinema, drawing both industry veterans and new audiences to celebrate the power of storytelling on screen.
Complete Winners List
Busan Award – Best Film
Gloaming in Luomu, dir. Zhang Lu (China)
Busan Award – Best Director
Girl, dir. Shu Qi (Taiwan)
Busan Award – Special Jury Award
Funky Freaky Freaks, dir. Han Chang-lok (Korea)
Busan Award – Best Actor
Lee Jiwon – En Route To (Korea)
Kitamura Takumi, Ayano Go, Hayashi Yuta – Baka’s Identity (Japan)
Busan Award – Artistic Contribution Award
Resurrection, production design by Liu Qiang and Tu Nan (China)
New Currents Award
En Route To, dir. Yoo Jaein (Korea)
BIFF Mecenat Award (Korea)
Raining Dust, dir. Ju Romi, Kim Taeil (Korea)
BIFF Mecenat Award (Asia)
Singing Wings, dir. Hemen Khaledi (Iran/Kurdistan)
BIFF Mecenat Award – Special Mention
Relay Race, dir. Ko Hyoju (Korea)
Sonje Award (Korea)
It Sounds Louder on Rainy Days, dir. Kim Sang-yun (Korea)
Sonje Award (Asia)
Delay, dir. Wang Han-xuan (China)
Sonje Award – Special Mention
Interface, dir. Kawazoe Aya (Japan)
