Busan Film Festival Honors Ahn Sung-ki and Names Thailand First Country of Honor

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will pay tribute to the late Korean screen legend Ahn Sung-ki with a six-film retrospective that the actor hand-picked before his death earlier this year. BIFF announced the program, titled "Those Beautiful Years, Ahn Sung-ki," on August 20, 2026, calling it the grand finale to nationwide tributes for a career that stretched nearly seven decades — from his 1957 debut as a child actor through his later years as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and longtime member of the festival's own committee (Variety).

Ahn chose the six films himself. They centre on his 1980s and 1990s peak: "A Fine, Windy Day" (1980), "Whale Hunting" (1984), "Chil-su and Man-su" (1988), "Gagman" (1989), "White Badge" (1992) and "Festival" (1996). Each screening will feature guest visits from longtime collaborators, including directors Lee Jang-ho, Bae Chang-ho and Chung Jiyoung, and actors Kim Bo-Yeon and Bae Jong-ok. BIFF will also publish an essay collection on Ahn's career and legacy, co-hosted with the Korean Film Archive (Variety).

Alongside the tribute, the festival's industry wing — the Asian Contents & Film Market, or ACFM, where sales agents and buyers trade rights to films destined for screens across Asia — has launched its highest-tier country partnership. Thailand will be the inaugural Country of Honor for 2026 (Variety).

The designation builds on a long history. Pen-ek Ratanaruang's "Ploy" was selected for the festival's Pusan Promotion Plan in 2006, and Aditya Assarat's "Wonderful Town" won the New Currents prize — BIFF's competition strand for emerging Asian directors — in 2007. More than 540 foreign film and TV productions shot in Thailand last year, drawn partly by cash rebates of up to 30% for eligible projects (Variety).

Chookiat Sakveerakul, president of the Thai Film Directors Association, said Thailand is "deeply honored to be named the first Country of Honor at ACFM 2026." He said the partnership would open new doors for Thai films and content to reach wider international audiences while strengthening collaboration between Thailand, South Korea, and global industry partners (Variety).

The festival also recently named Michelle Yeoh its Asian Filmmaker of the Year, an award presented to an Asian filmmaker who has made exceptional contributions to the advancement of Asian film industry and culture (Variety; BIFF). Kim Jong-kwan's "The Table: Day and Night" will open the festival, per a BIFF press release dated August 19, 2026.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs October 6–15, with the 21st Asian Contents & Film Market held October 10–13 (Variety).