The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Asia’s largest film festival, has been officially recognized as an ‘A Festival’ under the newly reformed accreditation framework of the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF). With this classification, BIFF joins a select group of 17 international film festivals worldwide, standing alongside Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, and San Sebastián, reaffirming its global standing and influence.

FIAPF Reform: Transitioning to a Single Unified Accreditation Framework

Founded in 1933, FIAPF is the leading global organization that accredits international film festivals based on rigorous professional quality and reliability standards. Previously, FIAPF accredited festivals under four categories: Competitive, Competitive Specialised, Non-Competitive, and Documentary & Short Film. The organization has now significantly reformed its accreditation program, introducing a single unified framework that better highlights the international impact and work of festivals.

As part of the reform, the new ‘A Festival’ classification identifies festivals that demonstrate the highest level of international impact, regardless of programming format or genre. The assessment is based on two years of both quantitative and qualitative data collected across four key areas: film selection, industry connections and activities, press and promotion, and screenings and audiences.

Florence Girot, FIAPF festivals senior director said, "The revamped accreditation embraces a forward-looking, impact-focused approach. It gives festivals greater visibility for the work they do individually and collectively, while offering the industry a clearer understanding of their value. This shift aims to strengthen the entire festival ecosystem and reaffirm their role as key allies to films and the sector.”

The Busan International Film Festival first received FIAPF accreditation in 1997, the year following the successful launch of its inaugural edition in 1996, becoming the first FIAPF-accredited international film festival in Korea. In 2018, BIFF was also selected as a member of the FIAPF Festivals Committee, a role it continues to hold today. The results of this newly restructured accreditation program—designed to reflect the real global impact of contemporary film festivals—underscore the growing international prominence of BIFF in recent years.

BIFF Festival Director Jung Hanseok commented on the recognition, “This is a gratifying result that demonstrates the rapidly growing international capacity of the Busan International Film Festival. It is especially meaningful to be recognized by a highly trusted organization that accredits major film festivals according to global standards. We will continue to build on our global standing as an ‘A Festival’.”

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will be held for ten days from October 6 (Tue) to 15 (Thu) at the Busan Cinema Center and venues across the city. Submissions for this year’s official selections are only available through the festival’s official website (www.biff.kr/eng/). The submission deadlines for this year’s official selection are June 2 for short films and July 8 for feature films. Further details on eligibility and submission guidelines can be found on the official BIFF website (www.biff.kr).

* 31st Busan International Film Festival: October 6 (Tue) – October 15 (Thu)

* 21st Asian Contents & Film Market: October 10 (Sat) – October 13 (Tue)