Busan Film Festival Adds Japanese Animation Special with 13 Films
The new section gives Japanese animation a dedicated out-of-competition slot at BIFF, pairing 1958 to 2004 classics with four 2026 titles.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
The 31st Busan International Film Festival will screen 13 films in a new out-of-competition category, "Japanese Animation Special: Masterpieces of Madness, Exhilarating Prospects 12+1." The lineup spans 1958 to 2026, from The White Snake Enchantress and Belladonna of Sadness through Metropolis and Mind Game to four 2026 titles. The King and the Mockingbird, a French film that influenced Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, also screens in the section.
The section pairs 12 Japanese productions with The King and the Mockingbird, the French fantasy cartoon that influenced Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. All 13 screen out of competition. The 30th edition, held September 17-26, ran the live-action 5 Centimeters Per Second in its Open Cinema section.
- The White Snake Enchantress: 1958
- Belladonna of Sadness: 1973
- Phoenix 2772 (Space Firebird): 1980
- Angel's Egg: 1985
- Memories: 1995
- Metropolis: 2001
- Mind Game: 2004
- Kakurenbo: 2004
- ghost - end of night: 2026
- Shiranui: 2026
- We Are Aliens: 2026
- A New Dawn: 2026
- The King and the Mockingbird: French fantasy cartoon, a major influence on Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.