Busan International Film Festival today decided to postpone this year’s festival by 2 weeks and to downsize significantly. The 25th Busan International Film Festival, previously planned to be held from October 7th to October 16th, will now take place from October 21st to October 30th.
The concern over the spread of COVID-19 after Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) holidays was the main reason behind the rescheduling.
All outdoor events are canceled, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Outdoor Greeting, and Open Talk, in order to prevent crowds from gathering. There will be no international invitations, nor will there be any receptions or parties hosted to provide networking opportunities for film industry professionals.
The decision was made to take strict preventive measures and ensure safe operation of the festival. Busan International Film Festival is canceling various events and focusing on film screenings. The official selections will only be screened at Busan Cinema Center, Centum City in strict compliance with the governmental guidelines. Asian Contents & Film Market, Asian Project Market, and Forum BIFF will all be hosted online.
However, if Level Two social distancing protocol is continued or escalated during the rescheduled festival period, Busan International Film Festival may ultimately be canceled.