Submissions for the 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Open on January 1!
- Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2024
- IRON MASK, Sandstorm, Delivery Dancer's Sphere, Hamjinabi, etc.
27th BIFAN Korean Films are Featured at Domestic and International Film Festivals
After the award ceremony of the 27th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in 2023, the organizing and executive committee members took a commemorative photo with the winners. Festival Director Shin Chul (front row, fourth from left) and Organizing Committee Chairperson Cho Yong-eek and CHUNG Ji-young (front row, fifth and sixth from left) wished the winners a vibrant career.
The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN, Festival Director SHIN Chul) calls for feature and short film submissions starting Monday, January 1. The submission deadline is Tuesday, April 30 (GMT+9).
Entries must have been produced after January 1, 2023, with running time less than 60 minutes for shorts and over 60 minutes for features. The entries must be unreleased in Korea. Calls for submissions are open to all horror, thriller, fantasy, science fiction, noir, comedy, (fake) documentary, coming-of-age, family, and other genre-bending hybrid and experimental films. We expect numerous submissions of original works with provocative themes and new styles.
Entry documents can be downloaded from the BIFAN online submission site (
https://vp.eventival.com/bifan/2024). For more information, contact the program team at +82-32-327-6313, ext. 105&132/films@bifan.kr (features) short@bifan.kr (shorts). Selected shorts, while selected features will be contacted individually, all in May.
Films selected by BIFAN Program Selection Committee will be officially screened in the following sections: ¡ãBucheon Choice, ¡ãKorean Fantastic, ¡ãMad MaxX, ¡ãAdrenaline Ride, ¡ãMetal Noir, ¡ãMerry-Go-Round, ¡ãOdd Family, ¡ãStrange Homage, ¡ãXL, ¡ãSpecial Programs/Retrospectives. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winners of the 17 categories.
(Clockwise from top left) Last year's BIFAN screenings of IRON MASK, Her Hobby, Toxic Parents, Haven't Done Anything, Delivery Dancer's Sphere, Hamjinabi, Burger Song Challenge, MY HEART IS GOING TO EXPLODE!
Korean films that premiered at BIFAN have garnered attention at domestic and international film festivals. The 27th edition of the festival featured films such as IRON MASK, Her Hobbies, Haven't Done Anything, Hamjinabi.
IRON MASK (Director KIM Sung-hwan) won the Best Film Award at the 8th London Asian Film Festival. It was also officially selected for the 6th Malaysia International Film Festival and the 47th Sao Paulo International Film Festival in the New Directors Competition. IRON MASK is the first kendo-themed film in Korea, and it won two awards, including Best Picture and Best Feature by Watcha. Her Hobbies (Director HA Myungmi) was invited to the 8th London Asian Film Festival, 3rd Jakarta Film Week, and 47th Sao Paulo International Film Festival in the New Directors Competition. Her Hobbies won the NH Distribution Support Award and Actor Award (Actor JUNG Yi-seo). Toxic Parents has been selected for the 28th Aichi International Film Festival and the Barcelona Asian Film Festival, I Haven't Done Anything was chosen for the 18th London Korean Film Festival and the 3rd Jakarta Film Week, and Sandstorm was officially invited to the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Short films are also garnering attention at domestic and international film festivals. For the 27th Film Festival, Delivery Dancer's Sphere, Hamjinabi, Burger Song Challenge, Blades, MY HEART IS GOING TO EXPLODE!, Deposit, English Tutor, and Battery Mommy are among the favorites.
Delivery Dancer's Sphere (Director KIM Ayoung) won the Golden Nica Award, the highest honor in the world's largest media art award, Prix Ars Electronica. KIM is the first Korean director to win the Golden Nica. BIFAN's Goedam-supported short film, Hamjinabi (Director LEE Sang-min), won the Grand Prize at the 4th Beautiful Hapcheon Independent Film Festival and the Hondie People Award at the 6th Jeju Hondie Film Festival. It was also invited to the 46th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the 4th Taiwan Short Film Festival, the 23rd Jeonbuk Indie Film Festival, the Daegu Independent Short Film Festival, and the Geumcheon Fashion Film Festival. Burger Song Challenge (Director KIM Min-ha), which won BIFAN's Odd Family Award, won the Grand Prize and Acting Award at the 4th Diversity Peace Film Festival and was invited to the London Short Film Festival and Sweden Short Film Day. Blades (Director JUNG Jae-yong) won the Audience Award at the 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival. MY HEART IS GOING TO EXPLODE! (Director JUNG Inhyuk) was invited to the 3rd Jakarta Film Week, Deposit (Director AHN Isul) and English Tutor (Director KOO Jaho) to the 27th Fantasia International Film Festival, and Battery Mommy (Director JEON Seungbae), which won BIFAN's Odd Family Award, to the 39th Warsaw International Film Festival.
In 2023, the 27th BIFAN screened 262 films from 51 countries in theaters and online (via Wavve) under the slogan "Stay Strange." 140,741 people (67,213 moviegoers / 73,528 eventgoers) attended the vibrant festival, reminiscent of the festival's first year. The 28th BIFAN in 2024 will be held from July 4 to 14 in Bucheon.