The 27th Busan Independent Film Festival will open on the 20th and continue for five days until the 24th.

This year’s festival will screen 54 independent features and short films at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu and the Musai Theater in Buk-gu. Of these, 18 films will compete in the “Made in Busan” section.

The festival’s opening film is the short “Just One More Time,” marking the debut of emerging director So Yoo-hyun. The festival describes the work as a film that portrays the unease woven into everyday life, leaving a lingering impression on the moments where words fall short. Earlier this year, So won the Grand Prize in the Operation Kino section at the 42nd Busan International Short Film Festival for the documentary “Road.”

This year’s “Spectrum Busan–Now” section will showcase eight films produced in Busan during the past year, including works by renowned documentary directors Kim Ji-gon, Park Bae-il, and Oh Min-wook. Director Park Jun-beom also returns with a new short feature after a long break.

The companion section, “Spectrum Busan–Rewind,” revisits notable achievements in the city’s indie film history, featuring titles that deeply explore family and human relationships such as Bae Jong-dae’s “Season” (2009), Kim Jin-tae’s “The Great Battle” (2012), and Yoon Ji-soo’s “Father and Son” (2014).

The festival will also honor late creators who left a mark on Busan’s independent film community.

Screenings will celebrate the contributions of Space Na.ra’s Kim Mi-ra (director Kim Ra) and documentary filmmaker Shin Na-ri. Works shown will include “LRa” (2025, directed by Lee Shin-hee), which follows the restructuring of Space Na.ra, as well as Kim Ra’s “What Do You Want to Say?” (2016) and “Time on the Road” (2020), plus Shin Na-ri’s “Bones” (2022). A special talk program will reflect on their artistic impact.

A range of side programs adds further depth to the festival. “Forum Indiecracy,” combining screenings and discussion, will feature documentaries such as Elisa Wendy and Li Wei Xing’s “Room 404” (2023) and Shin Na-ri’s “Pier 8” (2021), along with experimental short films including So Yeo-heon’s “A Dream of Love in a Foreign Land” and “A Woman’s Heart” (both 2013), and Yoo Chae-jung’s “Goblin Play” (2025). Following the screenings, painter Bang Jeong-ah and director Park Min-kyung will engage in a dialogue on art and reality.

The “Deep Focus” spotlight this year highlights director Ahn Geon-hyung, whose approach to filmmaking blends personal perspective with social observation. Five of his feature-length works will be screened, followed by a Cine Talk with Executive Director Oh Min-wook after the documentary “Out of the Cave” (2011). A panel titled “Making a Film” will also feature independent filmmakers Kwon Ip-sae, Nam Ki-hyung, Park Shin-ae, and Jeon Doo-sik.

Online ticket reservations open at 9 a.m. on the 20th through the Busan Cinema Center and Musai Theater.

Full details and screening schedules can be found on the Busan Independent Film Association’s website and official social media channels.

Fleet Chinhae

USAG Daegu