BIFAN to kick off 11-day genre film fest next month

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) will kick off next month, showcasing nearly 220 genre movies.

The annual film fest, a celebration of genre films from around the world, will screen 217 shorts and features from 41 countries in Bucheon, about 19 kilometers west of Seoul, during its July 3-13 run, organizers said Tuesday.

“Many people say Korean cinema is in a very challenging situation because of YouTube and streaming platforms. Amid this crisis, BIFAN will embark on a journey where competition is driven by imagination and passion, not by capital,” Shin Cheol, the festival’s director, said at a press conference Tuesday.

The festival’s direction is to seek new possibilities by moving beyond conventional boundaries, as captured in its slogans, “Stay Strange” and “Expand Your Frame,” its organizers said.

The festival will open with Polish director Piotr Winiewicz’s 2024 film, “About a Hero,” an exploration of artificial intelligence’s (AI) role in cinematic creation. Closing the festival, South Korean director Han Jay’s “Go-To Restaurant” examines the values of community, communication and trust in an increasingly individualistic era.

South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun will be featured in a special section highlighting actors, introducing his filmography from the last 30 years. As one of the country’s leading actors, he has appeared in numerous hit films, including “Joint Security Area” (2000), “Inside Man” (2015) and “The Match” (2025).

In addition, BIFAN plans to broaden its AI-related programs for its 29th edition, following its pioneering move last year to introduce a new award category for AI-generated films. It marked the first Korean film festival to recognize this emerging technology in cinema.

With the goal of training 10,000 AI content creators in the next few years, the festival will host its second AI conference, along with an AI filmmaking workshop.

Established in 1997, BIFAN has evolved into South Korea’s largest genre film festival, held annually in Bucheon.