The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (executive committee chairman Shin Cheol, hereinafter BIFAN) is calling for submissions of domestic and international feature and short films.
It begins at 12:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2026, and short films will be accepted until 12:00 a.m. on Monday, April 7, while feature films will be accepted until 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15. Entries must have been produced after Jan. 1, 2025, and must not have been screened in Korea. By running time, shorts are under 50 minutes and features are 50 minutes or longer.
This year all works are eligible for submission, including horror, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, noir, comedy, (fake) documentary, melodrama, coming-of-age films, family films, hybrids that defy genre classification, and experimental films, and preference is given to provocative themes and original works with new styles. Submissions can be made via the BIFAN online submission site, and by phone or email. Shortlist selections will be announced on the BIFAN website in May, and selected feature films will be notified individually in May.
The Korean films that premiered at the 29th BIFAN in 2025 drew significant attention domestically and internationally. Gyosaeng Silsup (Teacher Internship) (director Kim Min-ha), which won both best film and best actor awards, was invited to the Seoul Independent Film Festival and the Kaohsiung Film Festival.
The director award winner Gwangjang (Square) (director Kim Bo-sol) won the top animation award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards held in Australia, following screenings at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Sitges Film Festival, the Kaohsiung Film Festival, and the São Paulo International Film Festival.
The audience award winner Ivanli Jang Man-ok (director Lee Yu-jin) created a buzz at the Queer Screen Film Festival in Australia, the Thai International LGBTQ Film Festival, and the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival.
Short films also received attention at domestic and international festivals. Hyeo (Tongue) (director Im Da-seul), which won best film, drew notice at the Sitges International Film Festival. The audience award winner Cheung (Floor) (director Jo Bareun) won best short film at the 58th Sitges International Film Festival and was invited to the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Also, a number of works were released in theaters this year and attracted audience interest, including Ugly Sister (director Emily Blichfeldt), Together (director Michael Shanks), Gangryeong: Gwisin Nori (Gangryeong: Ghost Play) (director Son Dong-wan), and Only God Knows Everything (director Baek Seung-hwan).
Selected domestic and international works will be officially screened during the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in July 2026, and prize money and trophies will be awarded to winners in the competitive sections. The 30th BIFAN in 2026 is scheduled to be held around Bucheon from July 2 to 12.
[Photo] Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
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