30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival Closes,
Declaring a New Era of Growth and Expansion
- A total of 66,128 admissions, a 27% increase compared to last year!
- Approximately 137,000 total visitors, featuring 321 films from 50 countries screened—the largest scale in history!
The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Festival Director SHIN Chul, BIFAN) wrapped up its 11-day journey on Sunday, July 12.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year under the key themes of expansion and innovation, BIFAN attracted a massive crowd of Bucheon citizens and festivalgoers through a series of bold attempts and transformations, including an expanded program scale and the launch of the Bucheon AI Contents Summit.
Opening on July 2, BIFAN presented 321 works from 50 countries (170 features, 85 shorts, 38 AI films, and 28 XR works), representing an approximately 45% increase over last year's lineup—the largest program in the festival's history. Among them, 93 titles made their world premieres at BIFAN. The total number of audience was 66,128, a 27% increase compared to last year (52,024 at the 29th BIFAN), and BIFAN welcomed approximately 137,000 visitors over the 11-day event.
¡Þ Movie Stars Who Illuminated BIFAN
¡ã From the top left, actress Josie HO, Isabelle HUPPERT, FAN Bingbing, and director YUEN Woo Ping (Courtesy of BIFAN)
The 30th BIFAN was graced by an impressive lineup of prominent domestic and international filmmakers, lighting up the city of Bucheon. At the opening ceremony red carpet on July 2, world-renowned film figures such as YUEN Woo Ping, FAN Bingbing, Isabelle HUPPERT, and Josie HO attended, thrilling the audience. These four guests each held press conferences to share their cinematic philosophies, behind-the-scenes stories, and insights into AI from a creator's perspective.
¡ã From the top left, director MIIKE Takashi, director CHOI Dong-hoon and actor YOO Hae-jin (Tazza: The High Rollers), actors RYU Seung-ryong and GONG Myung (Extreme Job), and actress Tiffany YOUNG (NIKO) (Courtesy of BIFAN)
Masterclasses, Mega Talks, and various GVs were also among the unmissable highlights of BIFAN. A multitude of filmmakers spent meaningful time interacting with the audience: director MIIKE Takashi attended the masterclass for Ichi the Killer; director CHOI Dong-hoon and actor YOO Hae-jin participated in the Mega Talk for Tazza: The High Rollers; actors RYU Seung-ryong and GONG Myung joined the GV for Extreme Job; and actress Tiffany YOUNG graced the GV for NIKO.
¡ã From the top left, director CHUNG Ji-young and actress YEOM Hye-ran (My Name), actress KIM Ha-neul (Ditto), actor YOO Ji-tae (Ditto), director YANG Woo-suk, actors KIM Yun-seok, KIM Sung-ryung, and LEE Seung-gi (About Family) (Courtesy of BIFAN)
In addition, domestic actors and directors continued to visit Bucheon through the Neighborhood Cinema Tour and Guest Visit (GV). Acclaimed actors KIM Yun-seok, KIM Sung-ryung, and LEE Seung-gi from About Family; KIM Ha-neul and YOO Ji-tae from Ditto; and director CHUNG Ji-young alongside actress YEOM Hye-ran from My Name met with Bucheon citizens to enthusiastic responses.
¡Þ Moving Beyond the Past 30 Years into the Next 30! Launch of the Bucheon AI Contents Summit
¡Þ Beyond Reality 2026: The Futuristic Theater Cosmic Cinema
¡ã BIFAN 2026 AI International Conference (Courtesy of BIFAN)
The Bucheon AI Contents Summit, launched this year with the vision of establishing Bucheon as a global hub for AI-powered audiovisual content, concluded successfully. BIFAN proved its position as a pioneer leading the AI industry within the film festival circuit, announcing that tickets for both the newly established section, AI Frontier, and the AI International Conference were completely sold out in advance.
¡ã Interactive media art Analemma by Yasuhiro CHIDA (Courtesy of BIFAN)
BIFAN’s XR program, now entering its second decade, also garnered significant attention. Under the theme Cosmic Cinema, Beyond Reality 2026 reimagined the future of moviegoing through immersive VR screenings, dome projections, and interactive exhibitions, transforming locations throughout Bucheon into an expansive cinematic universe.
¡Þ Opening Ceremony Sold Out! Approximately 30,000 Attendees Gather for the Carnival in July
¡ã (Above) Visitors at the Bucheon Wejoy Chicken & Beer Festival 2026, (Below) Fantastic Portal (Courtesy of BIFAN)
Alongside its expanded film program, the 30th BIFAN successfully delivered a vibrant festival for both citizens and visitors. The opening ceremony on July 2 drew large crowds to the red carpet, where citizens gathered to welcome distinguished filmmakers from around the world. Tickets for the opening film sold out, reflecting the festival's strong public appeal. From July 3 to July 5, the Carnival in July, held around Bucheon City Hall lawn square, attracted approximately 30,000 visitors. The carnival featured diverse events including the Strange Lawn Concert, Horror Night, and the Bucheon Wejoy Chicken & Beer Festival. In particular, the Fantastic Portal, created as a landmark installation celebrating BIFAN's 30th anniversary, added deeper meaning to the event as it was filled with messages from audiences and citizens throughout the festival period.
With its commitment to expansion and innovation, the 30th BIFAN not only reaffirmed its position as Asia’s leading genre film festival, but also demonstrated a forward-looking vision for the future of cinema and the rapidly evolving content industry.
¡á Festival Overview
Title : 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Date : July 2 (Thu) – July 12 (Sun), 2026 (11 days)
Type : Non-competitive international film festival introducing partial competition
Scale : 321 films from 50 countries (170 features, 85 shorts, 38 AI films, 28 XR contents)
Main Venue : Bucheon City Hall, Korean Manhwa Museum, CGV Sopung, LOTTE Cinema Bucheon, Bucheon Art Bunker B39, Bucheon Astronomical Science Museum
Please contact the BIFAN PR Team for more details.
E. foreignpress@bifan.kr | M. +82-10-7367-6313 | T. +82-32-327-6313 (135, 140)