부산국제단편영화제 - Busan International Short Film Festival (44)

Festival start: 22 April 2027      Festival end: 27 April 2027

Launched in 1980, our festival, the first of its category in South Korea, has grown and evolved from the Korean Short Film Festival, to become the Busan Asian Short Film Festival in 2000 and eventually the Busan International Short Film Festival in 2010 (www.bisff.org).

Taking place late April at the Busan Cinema Center, BISFF delivers a dozen awards in three competitive sections (International Competition, Korean Competition and Operation Kino) while also presenting several curated, non-competitive sections including: Guest Country, Korean Shorts, Asian Shorts, Prism, 3D Cinema, etc.

BISFF is a member of the Short Film Conference (http://shortfilmconference.com/) and of the NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema https://netpacasia.org). In 2018, it became South Korea’s first Oscar®-qualifying festival.

Cash Prizes: 17,000€

The Grand Prix winners of the International and Korean Competitions will be automatically eligible for consideration in the Short Film (Live Action/Animation) categories of the Academy Awards® (Oscars).

The competition sections of the 44th BISFF will present awards in a total of 10 categories, with total prize money of approximately KRW 26,000,000. Award titles, prize money, and prizes for each category are subject to change depending on the Festival’s circumstances, and the final details will be announced separately.

1) International Competition
- Grand Prix: KRW 10,000,000 & Trophy
- Excellence Award: KRW 5,000,000 & Trophy
- Jury Special Mention: KRW 2,000,000 & Trophy
- Audience Award: Prize & Certificate

2) Korean Competition
- Grand Prix: KRW 5,000,000 & Trophy
- Excellence Award: KRW 3,000,000 & Trophy
- Jury Special Mention: KRW 1,000,000 & Trophy
- Best Performance Award: Prize & Certificate
- Audience Award: Prize & Certificate

3) Asian Films
- NETPAC Award: NETPAC Certificate & Prize
- The NETPAC Award is a special award presented by a separate jury to a film produced in an Asian country among the official selections of the Korean and International Competitions. No separate submission is required.

※ If the Festival determines that no film in a competition section meets the evaluation criteria, it may decide not to make some or all of the selections or awards in that section.

1. Organization
The Busan International Short Film Festival (hereinafter “BISFF”) is organized and presented by the Busan International Short Film Festival Committee, a non-profit cultural organization.

2. Purpose
BISFF seeks to discover, present, and promote outstanding short films from Korea and around the world, thereby fostering the development of short films and contributing to the diversity of film culture. Through its competition sections, the 44th BISFF aims to introduce to audiences and award diverse, outstanding short films completed after January 2026. These regulations define the terms of entry to ensure mutual understanding between the Festival and applicants.

3. Dates
The 44th Busan International Short Film Festival will be held from Thursday April 22nd to Tuesday April 27th 2027 (6 days) in Busan, Korea.

4. Competition Sections
BISFF hosts two official competition sections: the International Competition and the Korean Competition.
1) International Competition
A curated selection of short films from around the world, regardless of country of production, demonstrating outstanding aesthetic value.
2) Korean Competition
A curated selection of short films produced in Korea demonstrating outstanding aesthetic value.

5. awards
The Grand Prix winners of the International and Korean Competitions will be automatically eligible for consideration in the Short Film (Live Action/Animation) categories of the Academy awards® (Oscars).
The competition sections of the 44th BISFF will present awards in a total of 10 categories, with total prize money of approximately KRW 26,000,000. Award titles, prize money, and prizes for each category are subject to change depending on the Festival’s circumstances, and the final details will be announced separately.
1) International Competition
- Grand Prix: KRW 10,000,000 & Trophy
- Excellence Award: KRW 5,000,000 & Trophy
- Jury Special Mention: KRW 2,000,000 & Trophy
- Audience Award: Prize & Certificate
2) Korean Competition
- Grand Prix: KRW 5,000,000 & Trophy
- Excellence Award: KRW 3,000,000 & Trophy
- Jury Special Mention: KRW 1,000,000 & Trophy
- Best Performance Award: Prize & Certificate
- Audience Award: Prize & Certificate
3) Asian Films
- NETPAC Award: NETPAC Certificate & Prize
- The NETPAC Award is a special award presented by a separate jury to a film produced in an Asian country among the official selections of the Korean and International Competitions. No separate submission is required.
※ If the Festival determines that no film in a competition section meets the evaluation criteria, it may decide not to make some or all of the selections or awards in that section.

6. Eligibility
1) All entries must be short films completed after January 2026, with the production year indicated as 2026 or 2027.
2) Running time, including credits, must be under 30 minutes (max. 29 min 59 sec).
3) There are no restrictions on theme or genre.
4) As a rule, films submitted to the International Competition must be Korean Premieres (first screening in Korea).
- World Premiere: First public screening worldwide
- International Premiere: First public screening outside the country of production
- Asian Premiere: First public screening in Asia
- Korean Premiere: First public screening in Korea
5) For films directed by more than one person or submitted under the name of a group, one representative must be designated to handle official communications and award-related matters. Any disputes within the applicant’s side or team concerning rights, the distribution of prize money, or similar matters must be resolved by the applicant, and the Festival will not be involved.
6) If the applicant is a minor, prior consent from a legal guardian is required, and the relevant consent form must be submitted upon the Festival’s request.

7. Submission
1) Submission Period
Submissions Open October 12th 2026

Submission deadline International Competition January 11th 2027
Korean Competition



2) How to Submit
All submissions must be made exclusively through the official submission platforms operated and managed by BISFF. Submissions and entry fee payments made through methods or platforms not approved by the Festival will be deemed invalid, and the Festival assumes no responsibility for any resulting disadvantages.

Submission Platforms

Festhome https://festhome.com/
- Open to International and Korean Competitions
- deadline for all sections: January 11th 2027

Group Submissions submit@bisff.org
- For producers or organizations submitting 10+ films


3) Required Materials
- Screening file (max. 5GB)
- 1 director’s photo, 3 film stills, 1 official poster
- Basic film information, the director’s biography, and awards history, as required by the submission platform, must be provided accurately and truthfully.
- The screening file must be identical to the film to be screened; files cannot be replaced once the submission is complete.
- Submitted video files and attachments will not be returned.

4) Entry Fees
Section Period deadline Fee
International Early Bird November 8th 2026 €11
(KRW 17,000)
Final January 11th 2027 €15
(KRW 23,000)
Korean Early Bird November 8th 2026 €9
(KRW 14,000)
Final January 11th 2027 €13
(KRW 20,000)


5) Refund Policy
- A submission is deemed complete once the applicant has submitted the film on an official submission platform and payment of the entry fee has been confirmed.
- As the review process begins as soon as a submission is complete, submitted entries cannot be withdrawn and entry fees are non-refundable.
- Entry fees will not be refunded for submissions that do not comply with these regulations.
- Entry fees will not be refunded for submissions or payments made through platforms or methods not approved by the Festival.

8. Selection
1) Selection is conducted under the responsibility and authority of the BISFF Programming Team and a separate Preselection Committee. Films that do not meet the submission regulations or technical requirements may be excluded before preselection.
2) Competition selections will be announced on March 5th 2027 on the BISFF website and notified individually.
3) Competition selections will be screened in the 44th BISFF Competition and cannot be withdrawn at the unilateral request of the applicant (director or rights holder).
4) Competition entries may be screened in non-competitive sections.
5) As a rule, the review process and detailed evaluation results are not disclosed.

9. Revocation of Selection
1) Selection may be cancelled if the submission materials are incomplete or contain false or inaccurate information.
2) Selection may be cancelled if any member of a selected film’s team has been sentenced to punishment or to medical treatment and custody for a sexual offense. Selection may also be cancelled, following due procedure, if such a member has been indicted or is on trial for a sexual offense.
3) Selection may be cancelled, following due procedure, if any member of a selected film’s team is deemed to have undermined the values of BISFF through conduct such as violations of public order or accepted social norms, sexual harassment or violence, defamation, or discriminatory or hateful speech or behavior.
4) Selection may be cancelled if legal issues are identified concerning plagiarism, copyright, portrait rights, publicity rights, or any other related rights, or if a legitimate objection is raised by a third party.
5) Selection may be cancelled if the applicant repeatedly fails, without justifiable reason, to respond to the Festival’s official communications or requests for materials, making it difficult to proceed with the review or screening preparations.
6) If grounds for cancellation are confirmed after the awards, the Festival may revoke the award and request the return of any prize money or prizes already provided.
7) Films that were submitted to a BISFF competition section in a previous edition and were not selected may not be resubmitted.

10. Copyright and Warranty of Rights
1) The applicant must be the copyright holder of the submitted film or a person lawfully authorized by the copyright holder to submit and screen the film. If the copyright is jointly held, the consent of all rights holders required for the submission must be obtained.
2) The applicant must lawfully secure the rights necessary for the screening and promotion of all elements included in the film, including footage, images, music, voices, text, trademarks, characters, and any other elements, and must not infringe the copyright, portrait rights, name rights, or any other rights of third parties.
3) Films containing plagiarism, unauthorized reproduction, or elements that infringe the rights of third parties may not be submitted. In the event of any related dispute, the applicant shall bear all resulting legal responsibility.
4) In the event of a third-party claim of rights infringement or a legal dispute, the Festival may suspend the review, screening, or promotion of the film concerned, or cancel its selection or award. If the Festival suffers any damage as a result, the applicant may be held liable in accordance with the applicable laws and the scope of their responsibility.

11. Screening Copies: Submission and Return
1) Screening copies for the 44th BISFF must be submitted in DCP or MOV (ProRes 422) format. Other formats may be accepted exceptionally, subject to prior consultation with BISFF.
2) Screening copies of films containing dialogue in languages other than Korean or english must include english subtitles. All subtitle files must be provided in SRT format.
3) Screening copies must arrive at the BISFF office by March 23rd 2027. (Shipping costs borne by the applicant)
4) Screening copies will be returned within 4 weeks after the close of the Festival to the address designated by the rights holder or distributor of the selected film. Digital screening copies submitted online will not be returned. (Return shipping costs borne by the Festival)
5) Where necessary for subtitle production and screening preparations, selected films must respond to the Festival’s requests for a clean version of the film, subtitle files, scripts, or related materials.

12. Promotional Use
1) BISFF may produce videos using films selected for the competition sections and use them to promote the Festival. In such cases, footage from each selected film used in promotional videos will be limited to 30 seconds.
2) Materials submitted for selected films will be used for promotional purposes, including in the 44th BISFF catalog and on its website.

13. Archive
1) As a rule, BISFF will retain a copy of each competition selection in DCP or another digital format for use in post-Festival screenings, following consultation with the rights holder or distributor. Archived copies will be kept for one year after the Festival and destroyed thereafter.
2) Archiving will not proceed without the consent of the rights holder or distributor.

14. Post-Festival Screenings
1) Award-winning and selected films may be screened after the Festival in domestic and international screenings organized and presented by BISFF. In such cases, BISFF will always obtain the necessary permission for the screening through consultation with the rights holder or distributor.
2) After the Festival, BISFF may act as a distribution agent for selected films via online and other media. In such cases, BISFF will always proceed by consulting with the rights holder or distributor and concluding a separate distribution agency agreement.

15. Agreement
BISFF deems that the person who owns or represents the copyright of a submitted film has agreed to these regulations upon completing the registration of the film’s information and the submission of the film on the online submission platform. The applicant warrants that the information and materials submitted are accurate and that all rights required for submission, screening, and promotion have been lawfully secured.

16. Miscellaneous
1) The applicant is responsible for any disadvantages arising from omissions or errors in the submission materials or information. Submissions that do not comply with these regulations, are incomplete, or are made after the deadline may be deemed invalid.
2) Applicants of selected films must respond in good faith to requests for additional materials and official communications necessary for the operation of the Festival and its screenings.
3) Festival dates and screening formats may change due to force majeure. In such cases, BISFF will notify applicants of the changes. If changes occur after the competition selections have been confirmed, BISFF will inform and consult with the rights holders or distributors.
4) BISFF and the applicant have the right to decide, by mutual agreement, on any matters not covered by these regulations.

17. Contact
Submission Office – Busan International Short Film Festival
submit@bisff.org | Tel: +82-51-714-1220 ※ Phone inquiries: Weekdays 11:00–16:00 (KST)