This article is by Jung Hyun-mok and read by an artificial voice.



The top prize for Best Film went to Chinese director Zhang Lu's "Gloaming in Luomu", which follows a woman who travels to the remote village of Luomu in southwestern China after receiving a postcard from a boyfriend who had disappeared three years earlier. The story unfolds as she traces the remnants of their past love. Known for his warm and subtly humorous storytelling, Zhang was praised for his exploration of life's meaning. The film was unanimously selected by the jury.

"This is my second time standing on this stage - I received the New Currents Award here 20 years ago," Zhang said. "I hope to be back on this stage again for the festival's 100th anniversary," he added, receiving a standing ovation.

The Best Director award went to Shu Qi for "Girl," a film about domestic violence. Shu, who made directorial debut with the project after starting career as an actor, said in her acceptance speech, "I'm especially grateful to director Hou Hsiao-hsien for supporting this film without hesitation." the director added, "To every girl who carries emotional scars - I want to say, be brave, step out into the world, and move toward a brighter future."

The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Korean director Han Chang-lok for "Funky Freaky Freaks." Best Actor awards went to Lee Ji-won for "En Route to" and Kitamura Takumi, Ayano Go, and Hayashi Yuta for "Baka's Identity." The Artistic Contribution Award was given to "Resurrection" for its art direction by Liu Qiang and Tun Nan.

Earlier in the day, the BIFF executive committee held a press conference to review the overall results of this year's event.

"We believe we've taken a strong first step toward our goal of elevating Asian cinema through this newly introduced competitive section," said BIFF director Jung Han-seok.

This year's festival opened with director Park Chan-wook's latest film, "No Other Choice," and featured a total of 328 titles. Organizers said 175,889 people attended screenings - up 20,000 from the previous year - and approximately 63,000 took part in forums and other events, including the Forum BIFF, which returned after a three-year hiatus.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.