'We will stand at the forefront of change': BIFAN turns 30 with new vision

421 films from 50 countries to screen June 2–11; sections overhauled to sharpen genre identity; AI competition and short-form showcase added, new Gala section launched

Song Seung-hwan, general director of the opening ceremony of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, speaks at the official press conference for the 30th BIFAN held at Seoul Garden Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

"Turning 30 is a pivotal moment — a leap forward toward a new milestone for the future," said Jang Mi-hee, chairwoman of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival organizing committee.

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) marks its 30th edition under the slogan "NEW ERA NEW SKIN," signaling another round of transformation and reinvention. Like a chameleon that freely shifts its colors to match its surroundings, the festival intends to keep evolving with flexibility in the face of sweeping change — AI foremost among them.

Jang spoke Tuesday morning at the official press conference for the 30th BIFAN, held at Seoul Garden Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. "Over the past 30 years, BIFAN has relentlessly broken down boundaries between the mainstream and the marginal, reality and imagination, tradition and innovation — and that is BIFAN's singular identity," she said. "This year, too, we will present the fusion of AI, cutting-edge technology and cinematic imagination in the most captivating way possible."

The festival runs June 2–11 across Bucheon, with 421 films from 50 countries awaiting audiences. The lineup comes alongside a sweeping overhaul of the festival's sections, aimed at sharpening its identity as a genre film festival.

Official poster for the 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

The existing competition section has been reorganized under the banner "Bucheon Choice," subdivided into World, Korean and AI Film categories. The non-competition section has also been restructured — "B Extreme" maximizes BIFAN's genre identity, "Fantasscape" presents new genre landscapes, and "Fantastic Shorts" introduces domestic and international non-competition short films. A newly created special Gala section called "Signature" will spotlight 33 Korean genre films and 11 Korean genre films directed by women.

The opening film is "Biao Ren: Feng Qi Da Mo" by director Yuen Woo-ping, known for his distinctive action choreography. Based on a comic of the same name, the film follows action set against a desert backdrop. Festival organizers said no other film could be more fitting to herald BIFAN's new beginning.

This year BIFAN is actively embracing AI and short-form content — the two biggest talking points in today's film and content industry — as it responds to a rapidly shifting landscape.

Shin Chul, BIFAN's executive director, said movie theaters today must prove their reason for existence as spaces for new experiences beyond mere viewing, and that AI is becoming an auxiliary engine for the creative industry that breaks the limits of imagination. "BIFAN will not stand by as a bystander to this massive wave of change — we will stand at its forefront," he said.

BIFAN became the first film festival in South Korea to launch an AI competition section in 2024. Having been an early champion of AI, the festival carries that commitment into this year, with its AI-friendly identity on display from the opening ceremony onward.

Jang Mi-hee, chairwoman of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival organizing committee, speaks at the official press conference for the 30th BIFAN held at Seoul Garden Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Song Seung-hwan, general director of the opening ceremony, said AI was again the dominant theme this year. "Last year's opening ceremony was built around the theme 'AI Apocalypse,'" he said. "This year, we will present through performance a question about the relationship between humanoid robots and human beings."

The AI section this year moves beyond short films to feature a range of feature-length works made with AI. The international AI film competition "Bucheon Choice: AI Film" presents 15 titles in total, including feature films such as "Ask Me Anything" by director Lee Yong-seok and "Proto Type" by director Seo Tae-gyu. In the non-competition section "AI Frontier," Turkish director Alkan Avcıoğlu's 102-minute AI feature "Truth Is Not One" will receive its domestic premiere.

A short-form showcase, "Platform Special: Short-Form Cinema," will also bring short-form content to the big screen. "Dad's Home Cooking," the "shortdrama" — a portmanteau of shorts and drama series — debut by director Lee Joon-ik that has generated considerable buzz, will have its world premiere at BIFAN. Additional short-form works screening at the festival include "After School Exorcism Club: Girls' Night" by director Jeong Ju, "Dear Death" by director Lee Won-seok and "Wind-Up: The Movie" by director Kim Seong-ho.

Programmer Kim Hyeong-seok said the showcase reflects growing audience interest in short-form platforms. "We hope you will see this as an attempt to draw new media and emerging formats into the world of film festivals," he said.

Director Lee Joon-ik shared his thoughts on the festival invitation through Lezhin Snack, saying he hoped audiences would experience firsthand "the fresh shock and the strange yet overwhelming immersion of watching short-form content — something you used to watch in the palm of your hand — unfold across a vast theater screen."

Shin Chul, executive director of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (far left), speaks at the official press conference for the 30th BIFAN held at Seoul Garden Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

In addition, to mark its 30th edition, the festival will launch the "Bucheon AI Content Summit," a dedicated platform for showcasing AI programs. The initiative reflects the festival's ambition to advance the AI film ecosystem and position Bucheon as a hub for the global AI industry.

The festival is also expanding its reach to connect audiences and creators through a variety of programs across the city. A new audience-friendly lounge, "FunFun Arcade," will open, while a traveling neighborhood movie theater program will bring acclaimed feature and short films across multiple genres to local audiences.

"The festival's ultimate goal is to be in touch with the lives of citizens," Jang said. "Through participatory programs unfolding across the city, we hope this will be a time when people can feel not only the inherent power of cinema, but also a deep emotional connection with audiences."

balme@heraldcorp.com