Busan Festival Opens With Oscar Qualifying Award Pathway

The Busan International Film Festival opened Tuesday with new international recognition for its competition and a pathway that makes the winner of its top award eligible for submission to the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category. The 31st festival runs through October 15 in Busan, South Korea. The Academy’s designation applies to the Busan Award for Best Film. Winning does not guarantee an Oscar nomination; it allows the film to be submitted under the category’s qualifying rules. The festival’s Competition section, introduced last year, is holding its second edition, with a seven-member jury led by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. The International Federation of Film Producers Associations has also selected the Busan festival as one of its 17 A-list festivals. The recognition and Academy pathway give the event additional international standing as it seeks to promote Asian cinema and help films reach audiences beyond the region. Festival director Jung Hanseok said filmmakers have shown greater interest in the Competition and that the new recognition has helped improve the number and quality of submissions.