Netflix is bringing a slate of nine titles to this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), celebrating the festival’s 30th anniversary with a diverse lineup of Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and U.S. productions. The selections include shows by world-renowned auteurs and promising new voices, showcasing the streaming giant’s global reach.
Netflix will also host the second annual Creative Asia on September 20, a collaboration with Busan International Film Festival. The event is designed for emerging filmmakers and creatives, featuring a series of masterclasses and training sessions. The 30th Busan International Film Festival runs from September 17 to 26, 2025.
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Good News
Director Byun Sung-hyun has been invited to the prestigious Gala Presentation section at BIFF, marking the first time in seven years a Korean film has received the honor. Good News, which also earned an invitation to the Special Presentations section at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, is a thriller set in the 1970s.
It follows a group of people who devise a suspicious plan to land a hijacked plane at any cost. Featuring a stellar cast led by Sul Kyung-gu, Hong Kyung, and Ryoo Seung-bum, the film promises a suspenseful, twist-laden journey.
As You Stood By
Korean series As You Stood By is a harrowing tale of two women who, faced with a life-or-death dilemma, decide to kill, only to be swept into a chain of unforeseen consequences. Directed by Lee Jeong-lim and starring Jeon So-nee, Lee You-mi, Jang Seung-jo, and Lee Mu-saeng, the show captures the bond between the two women as they strive to escape a hellish reality.
The Great Flood
Invited to ‘Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere,’ The Great Flood is a sci-fi disaster film set in a flooded apartment building that portrays humanity’s desperate fight for survival on the last day of Earth. Amid the devastation and relentless tension of the disaster, Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo will captivate audiences with gripping performances that heighten the film’s emotional impact.
Romantics Anonymous
The Japanese-Korean series Romantics Anonymous tells a tender, heart-fluttering romance between a man who cannot be touched and a woman who avoids eye contact. Directed by Sho Tsukikawa (I Want to Eat Your Pancreas), the series stars Shun Oguri and Han Hyo-joo.
Last Samurai Standing
The Japanese series Last Samurai Standing unfolds a deadly game set in 1878 Japan, where 292 samurai are forced to fight to the death until only one remains to claim a cash prize. The show features top Japanese actors, including Junichi Okada and Yumia Fujisaki.
The Resurrected
From Taiwan comes The Resurrected, a series following two desperate mothers who resurrect a deceased fraud ringleader to avenge their kidnapped daughters. Co-directed by Leste Chen and Hsu Chao-jen, the series stars renowned Asian actresses Shu Qi and Sinje Lee.
The Busan International Film Festival also includes a special selection of Netflix U.S. titles from globally acclaimed auteurs. Noah Baumbach‘s new film, Jay Kelly, follows a famous movie actor, played by George Clooney, as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery alongside his manager, played by Adam Sandler.
Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale in Frankenstein, and Kathryn Bigelow directs the riveting, dramatic thriller A House of Dynamite, which follows the race to determine who launched a single, unattributed missile at the United States.
The Busan International Film Festival takes place in Busan from September 17 through September 27, 2025.
