![]() Official poster  | |
| Opening film | Septet: The Story of Hong Kong | 
|---|---|
| Closing film | Josee, the Tiger and the Fish | 
| Location | Busan Cinema Center | 
| Founded | 1995 | 
| Awards | 
  | 
| No. of films | 192 films from 68 countries | 
| Festival date | October 21–30, 2020 | 
The 25th Busan International Film Festival took place on October 21 to 30, 2020 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea. A total of 192 films from 68 countries were screened at the festival, the numbers reduced from the previous edition.[1]
The festival was scheduled to be held on October 7–16, 2020, but was postponed due to concern over the spread of COVID-19 after Chuseok holidays. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the attendance of BIFF had been downsized and no international guests were invited to the festival. All outdoor events were also cancelled in order to prevent crowds.[2] The screening limit capacity were only up to 50 people. The judging of all films took place online.[3]
The most prestigious awards of the festival, New Currents, were handed to A Balance and Three.[4]
Juries
New Currents
- Mira Nair, Indian-American director, Head Juror
 - Thierry Jobin, Swiss film critic, Fribourg International Film Festival artistic director
 - Haegue Yang, South Korean visual artist
 
Kim Jiseok Award
- Zhao Tao, Chinese actress
 - Jung Sung-il, South Korean film critic and director
 - Mouly Surya, Indonesian director
 
BIFF Mecenat Award
- Nick Deocampo, Filipino director
 - Park Inho, South Korean film critic
 - Chalida Uabumrungjit, Thai archive director
 
Sonje Award
- Ifa Isfansyah, Indonesian director
 - Kim Yi-seok, South Korean film professor
 - Sharipa Urazbayeva, Uzbekistani director
 
Actor and Actress of the Year
- Chu Sang-mi, South Korean actress and director
 - Jung Jin-young, South Korean actor and director
 
FIPRESCI Award
- Sanja Struna, Slovenian film critic
 - Sung Il-kwon, South Korean film critic
 - Alin Taciyan, FIPRESCI deputy secretary
 
NETPAC Award
- Riccardo Gelli, Florence Korean Film Festival director
 - Kim Kyoung-wook, South Korean film critic
 - Hassan Muthalib, Malaysian writer, film critic, and film historian
 
DGK Megabox Award
- Kim Ho-jun, South Korean director
 - Lee Sang-cheol, South Korean director
 - Cho Chang-ho, South Korean director
 
KBS Independent Film Award
- Jeong Jae-eun, South Korean director
 - Ju Sung-chul, South Korean film critic
 - Kwak Sin-ae, South Korean film producer
 
CGK&SamyangXEEN Award
- Nam Dong-keun, South Korean cinematographer
 - Park Jung-hun, South Korean cinematographer
 - Sung Seung-taek, South Korean cinematographer
 
Official selection
Opening and closing films
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (closing film) | ジョゼと虎と魚たち | Kotaro Tamura | Japan | 
| Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (opening film) | 七人樂隊 | Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Woo-ping, Johnnie To, Ringo Lam, Hark Tsui, Sammo Hung | Hong Kong, China | 
Gala Presentation
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| In the Mood for Love | 花樣年華 | Wong Kar-wai | Hong Kong, China | 
| Love After Love | 第一爐香 | Ann Hui | China | 
| Minari | Lee Isaac Chung | United States | |
| True Mothers | 朝が来る | Naomi Kawase | Japan | 
| Wife of a Spy | スパイの妻 | Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Japan | 
Icons
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| A Night in Haifa | Laila in Haifa | Amos Gitai | Israel, France | 
| Another Round | Druk | Thomas Vinterberg | Denmark | 
| City Hall | Frederick Wiseman | United States | |
| Days | 日子 | Tsai Ming-liang | Taiwan | 
| Dear Comrades! | Дорогие товарищи | Andrei Konchalovsky | Russia | 
| First Cow | Kelly Reichardt | United States | |
| Hopper/Welles | Orson Welles | United States | |
| Minamata Mandala | 水俣曼荼羅 | Kazuo Hara | Japan | 
| New Order | Nuevo orden | Michel Franco | Mexico, France | 
| Sun Children | خورشید | Majid Majidi | Iran | 
| Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue | 一直游到海水变蓝 | Jia Zhangke | China | 
| The Salt of Tears | Le Sel des larmes | Philippe Garrel | France, Switzerland | 
| The Woman Who Ran | 도망친 여자 | Hong Sang-soo | South Korea | 
| Undine | Christian Petzold | Germany, France | |
A Window on Asian Cinema
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Kilohertz | 18 килогерц | Farkhat Sharipov | Kazakhstan | 
| 200 Meters | ٢٠٠ متر | Ameen Nayfeh | Palestine, Jordan, Qatar, Italy, Sweden | 
| A'hr | കയറ്റം | Sanal Kumar Sasidharan | India | 
| All the Things We Never Said | 生きちゃった | Yuya Ishii | Japan | 
| Bittersweet | बिटर स्वीट | Ananth Narayan Mahadevan | India | 
| Captive | नजरबंद | Suman Mukhopadhyay | India | 
| Cleaners | Glenn Barit | Philippines | |
| Coalesce | Les affluents | Jessé Miceli | Cambodia, France | 
| Death of Nintendo | Raya Martin | Philippines, United States | |
| Drowning in Holy Water † | مردن در آب مطهر | Navid Mahmoudi | Afghanistan, Iran | 
| Everyday Is a Lullaby | Putrama Tuta | Indonesia | |
| Farida's 2000 Songs | Фариданинг икки минг қўшиғи | Yalkin Tuychiev | Uzbekistan | 
| Happy Old Year | ฮาวทูทิ้ง..ทิ้งอย่างไรไม่ให้เหลือเธอ | Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit | Thailand | 
| Killer Spider | عنکبوت | Ebrahim Irajzade | Iran | 
| Little Big Women | 孤味 | Joseph Chen-Chieh Hsu | Taiwan | 
| Living In Your Sky | 空に住む | Shinji Aoyama | Japan | 
| Mama | 妈妈和七天的时间 | Li Dongmei | China, France | 
| Matto's Bicycle | Matto Ki Saikal | M. Gani | India | 
| Milestone | मील पत्थर - Milestone | Ivan Ayr | India | 
| Ora, Ora Be Goin' Alone | おらおらでひとりいぐも | Shuichi Okita | Japan | 
| Sister Sister | Chị Chị Em Em | Kathy Uyen | Vietnam | 
| Soirée | ソワレ | Bunji Sotoyama | Japan | 
| Striding Into the Wind | 野马分鬃 | Wei Shujun | China | 
| The Disciple | Chaitanya Tamhane | India | |
| The Paper Tigers | Quoc Bao Tran | Vietnam | |
| The Salt in Our Waters | নোনা জলের কাব্য | Rezwan Shahriar Sumit | Bangladesh, France | 
| The Slaughterhouse † | کشتارگاه | Abbas Amini | Iran | 
| There Is No Evil | شیطان وجود ندارد | Mohammad Rasoulof | Iran, Germany | 
| Tiong Bahru Social Club | Bee Thiam Tan | Singapore | |
| Where Is Pinki? | Pinki Elli? | Prithvi Konanur | India | 
| Wind | 随风飘散 | Dadren Wanggyal | China | 
| Yellow Cat | Сары мысық | Adilkhan Yerzhanov | Kazakhstan | 
| Your Eyes Tell | きみの瞳が問いかけている | Takahiro Miki | Japan | 
- Highlighted titles and daggers (†) indicate Kim Joseok Award winners.
 
New Currents
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| A Balance † | 由宇子の天秤 | Yujiro Harumoto | Japan | 
| A Leave | 휴가 | Lee Ran-hee | South Korea | 
| Bilesuvar | Elvin Adigozel | Azerbaijan, France | |
| Butterfly on the Windowpane | ऐना झ्यालको पुतली | Sujit Bidari | Nepal | 
| Chnchik | Aram Shahbazyan | Armenia, Germany, Netherlands | |
| Harami | हरामी | Shyam Madiraju | India, United States | 
| Money Has Four Legs | ခြေလေးချောင် | Maung Sun | Myanmar | 
| Snowball # ↓ | 최선의 삶 | Lee Woo-jung | South Korea | 
| Summer Blur ‡ | 汉南夏日 | Han Shuai | China | 
| Three † | Tpu | Ruslan Pak | Kazakhstan, South Korea, Uzbekistan | 
- Highlighted titles and daggers (†) indicate New Currents winners.
 - Highlighted title and double-dagger (‡) indicate FIPRESCI Award winner.
 - Hashtag (#) indicates KTH Award winner.
 - Down-arrow (↓) indicates CGK&SamyangXEEN Award winner.
 
Korean Cinema Today
Panorama
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Beasts Clawing at Straws | 지푸라기라도 잡고 싶은 짐승들 | Kim Yong-hoon | South Korea | 
| CICADA | 매미소리 | Lee Chung-ryoul | South Korea | 
| Days of Green | 청산, 유수 | Shin Dong-il | South Korea | 
| Deliver Us from Evil | 다만 악에서 구하소서 | Hong Won-chan | South Korea | 
| Empty Body | 인간증명 | Kim Ui-seok | South Korea | 
| Everglow | 빛나는 순간 | So Joon-moon | South Korea | 
| Me and Me | 사라진 시간 | Jung Jin-young | South Korea | 
| More Than Family | 애비규환 | Choi Ha-na | South Korea | 
| Peninsula | 반도 | Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea | 
| Spring Song | 스프링 송 | Yoo Jun-sang | South Korea | 
| Steel Rain 2: Summit | 강철비 2: 정상회담 | Yang Woo-suk | South Korea | 
| The Man Standing Next | 남산의 부장들 | Woo Min-ho | South Korea | 
| Three Sisters | 세자매 | Lee Seung-won | South Korea | 
| Time to Hunt | 사냥의 시간 | Yoon Sung-hyun | South Korea | 
| Vestige | 달이 지는 밤 | Kim Jong-hwan, Jang Kun-jae | South Korea | 
Vision
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| And There Was Light | 온 세상이 하얗다 | Kim Ji-seok | South Korea | 
| Beyond You | 그대 너머에 | Park Hong-min | South Korea | 
| Fighter † | 파이터 | Jéro Yun | South Korea | 
| Good Person ‡ § | 좋은 사람 | Jung Wook | South Korea | 
| Limecrime ↑ | 라임크라임 | Lee Seung-hwan, Yoo Jae-wook | South Korea | 
| Our Joyful Summer Days | 기쁜 우리 여름날 | Lee Yu-bin | South Korea | 
| Our Midnight | 아워 미드나잇 | Lim Jung-eun | South Korea | 
| Short Vacation | 종착역 | Kwon Min-pyo, Seo Han-sol | South Korea | 
| The Slug | 태어나길 잘했어 | Choi Jin-young | South Korea | 
| Young Adult Matters ‡ # | 어른들은 몰라요 | Lee Hwan | South Korea | 
- Highlighted title and dagger (†) indicate NETPAC Award winner.
 - Highlighted titles and double-daggers (‡) indicate DGK MEGABOX Award winners.
 - Section sign (§) indicates CGV Arthouse Award winner.
 - Hashtag (#) indicates KTH Award winner.
 - Up-arrow (↑) indicates KBS Independent Film Award winner.
 
World Cinema
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| All Hands on Deck | À l'abordage! | Guillaume Brac | France | 
| Ammonite | Francis Lee | United Kingdom, Australia, United States | |
| And Tomorrow the Entire World | Und morgen die ganze Welt | Julia von Heinz | Germany, France | 
| Beginning | Დასაწყისი | Dea Kulumbegashvili | France, Georgia | 
| Berlin Alexanderplatz | Burhan Qurbani | Germany | |
| Death Knell | Hil kanpaiak | Imanol Rayo | Spain | 
| Digger | Georgis Grigorakis | Greece, France | |
| Falling | Viggo Mortensen | Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark | |
| Gagarine | Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh | France | |
| I Carry You with Me | Heidi Ewing | Mexico, United States | |
| I Met a Girl | Luke Eve | Australia | |
| I Never Cry | Jak najdalej stąd | Piotr Domalewski | Poland, Ireland | 
| Ibrahim | Samir Guesmi | France | |
| In the Dusk | Sutemose | Šarūnas Bartas | Lithuania, France, Czech Republic, Serbia, Portugal, Latvia | 
| La fortaleza | Jorge Thielen Armand | Venezuela, France, Netherlands, Colombia | |
| La Verónica | Leo Medel | Chile | |
| Listen | Ana Rocha de Sousa | United Kingdom, Portugal | |
| Love Affair(s) | Les choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait | Emmanuel Mouret | France | 
| Lowdown Dirty Criminals | Paul Murphy | New Zealand | |
| Mandibles | Mandibules | Quentin Dupieux | France, Belgium | 
| My Favorite War | Mans mīļākais karš | Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen | Norway, Latvia | 
| My Tender Matador | Tengo miedo torero | Rodrigo Sepúlveda | Chile, Argentina, Mexico | 
| Night of the Kings | La Nuit des rois | Philippe Lacôte | Ivory Coast, France, Canada, Senegal | 
| Nowhere Special | Uberto Pasolini | United Kingdom, Italy, Romania | |
| Padrenostro | Claudio Noce | Italy | |
| Passion Simple | Danielle Arbid | France, Belgium | |
| Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time | Felkészülés meghatározatlan ideig tartó együttlétre | Lili Horvát | Hungary | 
| Quo Vadis, Aida? | Jasmila Žbanić | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Norway, Turkey | |
| Rascal | Vaurien | Peter Dourountzis | France | 
| Red Soil | Rouge | Farid Bentoumi | France | 
| Saint-Narcisse | Bruce LaBruce | Canada | |
| She Dies Tomorrow | Amy Seimetz | United States | |
| Shorta | Anders Ølholm, Frederik Louis Hviid | Denmark | |
| Slalom | Charlène Favier | France | |
| Spring Blossom | Seize printemps | Suzanne Lindon | France | 
| Teddy | Ludovic Boukherma, Zoran Boukherma | France | |
| The Best Families | Las mejores familias | Javier Fuentes-León | Peru, Colombia | 
| The Death of Cinema and My Father Too | מותו של הקולנוע ושל אבא שלי גם | Dani Rosenberg | Israel | 
| The Third War | La Troisième Guerre | Giovanni Aloi | France | 
| The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin) | C.W. Winter, Anders Edström | United States, Sweden, Japan, United Kingdom | |
| Tragic Jungle | Selva Trágica | Yulene Olaizola | Mexico, France, Colombia | 
| Zanka Contact | Ismaël el Iraki | France, Morocco, Belgium | |
Flash Forward
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Beasts | La terre des hommes | Naël Marandin | France | 
| Emptiness | Vacío | Paúl Venegas | Ecuador, Uruguay | 
| Nadia, Butterfly | Pascal Plante | Canada | |
| Palmyra | Пальмира | Ivan Bolotnikov | Russia | 
| Rival | Rivale | Marcus Lenz | Germany | 
| The Art of Dying Far Away | A Arte de Morrer Longe | Júlio Alves | Portugal | 
| The Macaluso Sisters | Le sorelle Macaluso | Emma Dante | Italy | 
| The Predators | I predatori | Pietro Castellitto | Italy, France | 
| Tigers † | Tigrar | Ronnie Sandahl | Sweden, Italy, Denmark | 
| Trouble Will Find Us | Alexander Milo Bischof | United Kingdom | |
- Highlighted title and dagger (†) indicate Flash Forward winner.
 
Wide Angle
Korean Short Film Competition
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Ava from My Class | 연극 수업 | Kang You-min | South Korea, United States | 
| Georgia † | 조지아 | Jayil Pak | South Korea | 
| HERO | 히로 | Jang Jun-young | South Korea | 
| High Surf Expected | 울렁울렁 울렁대는 가슴안고 | Ahn Jae-hong | South Korea | 
| House of Heeji | 희지의 세계 | Lee Hyo-jung | South Korea | 
| Peace River | 화천 | Jang Min-joon | South Korea | 
| Snail | 달팽이 | Kim Tae-yang | South Korea | 
| The Migration-ship | 이주선 | Oh Yoo-bin | South Korea | 
| Tree | 나무 | Cho Hyun-suh | South Korea | 
| Where Does the Wind Come From? | 바람 어디서 부는지 | Kim Jee-hye | South Korea | 
| Wolves | Lee Seung-wan, Choi Rack-won, Kim Ju-hyeong | South Korea | |
- Highlighted title and dagger (†) indicate Sonje Award winner.
 
Asian Short Film Competition
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| A Scarecrow | Rajesh Prasad Khatri | Nepal, France, Hong Kong, China | |
| All the Time | هرگز، گاهی، همیشه | Shadi Karamroudi | Iran | 
| Bình | Ostin Fam | Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand | |
| How to Die Young in Manila | Petersen Vargas | Philippines | |
| Kanya | கன்யா | Apoorva Satish | India, Czech Republic | 
| Kids on Fire | Kyle Nieva | Philippines | |
| Mountain Cat † | Shiluus | Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir | Mongolia, United Kingdom | 
| Sunrise in My Mind | ថ្ងៃរះក្នុងចិត្ | Danech San | Cambodia | 
| The Cloud Is Still There | 蓝蓝天空 | Mickey Lai | Malaysia | 
| Transit | Ariq Anam Khan | Bangladesh, United Kingdom | |
- Highlighted title and dagger (†) indicate Sonje Award winner.
 
Documentary Competition
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Children of the Night | Behrouz Nouranipour | Iran | |
| Fear(less) and Dear | 誠惶(不)誠恐,親愛的 | Anson Hoi Shan Mak | Hong Kong, China | 
| Mishima: The Last Debate | 三島由紀夫vs東大全共闘 50年目の真実 | Keisuke Toyoshima | Japan | 
| Sasang: The Town on Sand | 사상 | Park Bae-il | South Korea | 
| School Town King | School Town King แร็ปทะลุฝ้า ราชาไม่หยุดฝัน | Wattanapume Laisuwanchai | Thailand | 
| Self-portrait 2020 | 셀프-포트레이트 2020 | Lee Dong-woo | South Korea | 
| Sewing Sisters | 미싱타는 여자들: 전태일의 누이들 | Kim Jung-young, Lee Hyuk-rae | South Korea | 
| Sister J † | 재춘언니 | Lee Soo-jung | South Korea | 
| Song Hae 1927 | 송해 1927 | Jéro Yun | South Korea | 
| The Art of Living in Danger † | Mina Keshavarz | Iran, Germany | |
| The Invisible Shore | 无尽的航程 | Zhao Qi | China | 
| When a Hen Crows | 암탉이 울면 | Dabin | South Korea | 
- Highlighted titles and daggers (†) indicate BIFF Mecenat Award winners.
 
Documentary Showcase
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| A Rifle and a Bag | Cristina Haneș, Isabella Rinaldi, Arya Rothe | India, Romania, Italy, Qatar | |
| Candlelight Revolution | 나의 촛불 | Kim Eui-sung, Joo Jin-woo | South Korea | 
| City of Outlanders | 군산전기 | Moon Seung-wook, Yoo Ye-jin | South Korea | 
| Good Light, Good Air | 좋은 빛, 좋은 공기 | Im Heung-soon | South Korea | 
| Hong Kong Moments | Bing Zhou | China, Germany | |
| Irradiated | Irradiés | Rithy Panh | France, Cambodia | 
| My Body | Il mio corpo | Michele Pennetta | Switzerland, Italy | 
| Notturno | Gianfranco Rosi | Italy, France, Germany | |
| Speed of Happiness | 행복의 속도 | Park Hyuck-jee | South Korea | 
| The Fight | Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg | United States | |
| The Mole Agent | El agente topo | Maite Alberdi | Chile, United States, Germany, Netherlands, Spain | 
| The Painter and the Thief | Kunstneren og tyven | Benjamin Ree | Norway | 
| Your Face | 니얼굴 | Seo Dong-il | South Korea | 
Open Cinema
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| DAEMUGA | 대무가: 한과 흥 | Lee Han-jong | South Korea | 
| My Missing Valentine | 消失的情人節 | Chen Yu-hsun | Taiwan | 
| Soul | Pete Docter, Kemp Powers | United States | |
| Summer of 85 | Été 85 | François Ozon | France | 
| The Asadas | 浅田家! | Ryōta Nakano | Japan | 
| The Ties | Lacci | Daniele Luchetti | Italy | 
Awards
The following awards were presented at the 25th edition:[5]
- New Currents Award
- A Balance by Yujiro Harumoto
 - Three by Ruslan Pak
 
 
- Kim Jiseok Award
- Drowning in Holy Water by Navid Mahmoudi
 - The Slaughterhouse by Abbas Amini
 
 
- BIFF Mecenat Award
- The Art of Living in Danger by Mina Keshavarz
 - Sister J by Lee Soo-jung
 
 
- Sonje Award
- Georgia by Jayil Pak
 - Mountain Cat by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
 
 
- Actor & Actress of the Year Award
- Actor of the Year: Ji Soo for Our Joyful Summer Days
 - Actress of the Year: Lim Seong-mi for Fighter
 
 
- Flash Forward Award
- Tigers by Ronnie Sandahl
 
 
- FIPRESCI Award
- Summer Blur by Han Shuai
 
 
- NETPAC Award
- Fighter by Jéro Yun
 
 
- DGK MEGABOX Award
- Young Adult Matters by Lee Hwan
 - Good Person by Jung Wook
 
 
- CGV Arthouse Award
- Good Person by Jung Wook
 
 
- KTH Award
- Snowball by Lee Woo-jung
 - Young Adult Matters by Lee Hwan
 
 
- KBS Independent Film Award
- Limecrime by Lee Seung-hwan and Yoo Jae-wook
 
 
- CGK&SamyangXEEN Award
- Snowball – Cinematography by Lee Jae-u
 
 
References
- ↑ Suh, Jung-min (October 22, 2020). "2020 Busan International Film Festival to proceed in spite of pandemic". The Hankyoreh. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
 - ↑ Noh, Jean (September 11, 2020). "Busan International Film Festival downsizes and postpones for two weeks". Screendaily. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
 - ↑ Frater, Patrick (September 13, 2020). "Busan Film Festival to Shrink, Open With 'Septet: The Story of Hong Kong'". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
 - ↑ Noh, Jean (October 30, 2020). "'A Balance', 'Three' take New Currents awards at Busan film festival closing". Screendaily. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
 - ↑ Frater, Patrick (October 29, 2020). "'A Balance' and 'Three' Win Busan Festival's Competition Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
 
