The International Busan Film Festival (South Korea), one of the leading film events in the world, showcased a rich array of films from around the globe this October, with a special focus on Asian cinema.

One of the founders of the Busan Film Festival and the head of the Busan Content Market, a global leader in the video industry, Manu Kwon, was this year's guest at the Novi Sad Film Festival and the NSFF podcast. He spoke about the development of the festival and how it evolved from a local event into the leading film festival in Asia, making Busan the main hub for Korean drama.

At the recent 29th Busan Film Festival, awards were given in as many as 19 categories. In the main category, New Currents, two films won awards: The Land of Morning Calm by director Park Ri-Wong from South Korea and MA Cry of Silence by Maw Naing, a co-production involving Myanmar, South Korea, Singapore, France, Norway, and Qatar.

The Kim Jiseok Award, named after the late program director of the Busan Film Festival, was awarded to Village Rockstars 2 by Rima Das (India/Singapore) and Yen and Ai-LEE by Tom Lin Shu-Yu (Taiwan).

In the documentary category, the BIFF Mecenat Award went to the films Works and Days (Taiwan) and Another Home(Taiwan, Hong Kong, France).

The best short films (Sonje Award) were Yurimfrom South Korea and A Garden in Winter, a co-production between Japan and France.

The FIPRESCI Award, presented by the International Federation of Film Critics, went to the film Tale of the Land, a joint project from Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Qatar.

The NETPAC Award for the promotion of Asian cinema was given to The Land of Morning Calm, which also won the Audience Award in the New Currents section, marking a significant achievement for South Korean cinema at this year's festival.

You can view the full list of awardees on this link..

The International Busan Film Festival is recognized as one of 22 accredited international film festivals by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations). This year’s edition included various industry programs, including the Asian Film Market, further solidifying Busan's role as a key center of Asian cinema.