The opening ceremony for the "30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival," which marks its 30th anniversary this year, was held on July 2 at Bucheon City Hall.
The opening ceremony was attended by Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, as well as domestic and international film industry figures—including actress Fan Bingbing, director Yuan Hua-ping, actress Isabelle Huppert, and actor Josh Ho—from the film “Mother Boomi,” who helped add to the excitement. Furthermore, Bucheon citizens—including the Bucheon FC 1995 players, coach, team manager, and members of the supporters’ club—joined the event by walking the red carpet, making it a truly meaningful occasion.
The opening ceremony, held at the Bucheon Art Center, was directed by Song Seung-hwan. The celebratory performance, which explored the theme of “Harmony Between Humanoid Robots and Humans,” captivated the audience by artistically interpreting BIFAN’s strides toward the future. During the opening ceremony, Organizing Committee Chairman Jo Yong-ik reflected on the horizons BIFAN has expanded over the past 30 years—a period as long as a generation—and stated that they had prepared “a festival where both filmmakers and citizens take center stage as the nation’s premier genre film festival.”
Organizing Committee Chair Jang Mi-hee then reflected on BIFAN’s 30-year history, describing it as “a fierce journey of challenging outdated conventions and proposing alternatives,” and expressed her aspirations, stating, “This year, BIFAN aims to explore the coexistence of the present and the future.”
In particular, to mark its 30th anniversary, the festival presented special awards to world-renowned filmmakers. First, the “Fantastic Icon Award” was presented to actor Josh Ho, who possesses a unique and distinctive style in the genre film industry. Next, the “Global Icon Award” was presented to actress Fan Bingbing, who has captivated audiences around the world. Additionally, a ceremony was held to confer the Order of Arts and Culture (Chevalier) on BIFAN programmer Nam Jong-seok, adding further significance to the 30th opening ceremony. As the French government’s highest honor, this marked a meaningful moment in which Programmer Nam Jong-seok received global recognition for his contributions to expanding the reach of genre cinema and fostering international exchange.
Director Won Hwa-pyeong, who took the stage next, shared his thoughts on opening the 30th BIFAN in an interview, while Executive Committee Chair Shin Cheol, in his interview, asked for support for the 30th BIFAN, which will be held over the next 11 days, and for BIFAN’s next 30 years.
Every July, Bucheon turns into a strange town—in a good way for filmmakers! Since its inaugural event in 1997, this marks the 30th opening ceremony. While never wavering from its identity as a genre film festival, it has evolved gradually each year to embrace a broader scope. The slogan for this 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is “NEW ERA NEW SKIN,” which conveys the idea of changing the exterior while retaining the essence—a new era with a new look.
A total of 321 films from 50 countries were submitted to this year’s film festival, which featured sessions covering a wide range of genres, from horror and thriller to fantasy and film noir, as well as queer and AI.
What’s different about this year’s BIFAN? First, a new “Signature Section” has been introduced—this is the gala section making its debut this year. Master directors and star actors will visit Bucheon together to participate in Q&A sessions and on-stage greetings. New films by directors Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takashi Shimizu, and Joko Anwar will be featured. Actors Isabelle Huppert and Fan Bingbing will also be in attendance. Second, the FIPRESCI Award has been introduced. BIFAN is the first international fantastic film festival to host the “International Federation of Film Critics Award.” Genre films are now beginning to receive official recognition through critical discourse. Third, the AI section has been expanded to include feature-length films. Previously focused on short films, the AI film section has been expanded to include feature-length works. Fifteen films were selected from a total of 576 submissions.
The 30th BIFAN will run for a total of 11 days. This year, instead of a closing ceremony, we will be holding an awards ceremony, so we hope you’ll join us.
