These are our ten recommended short films from the Busan International Film Festival, which will take place from October 2 – 11, 2024 in Busan, South Korea.

Dive by Heo Dahee – Korea | 2024 – 30 minutes | World Premiere

Se-eun is a janitor who is always the first to arrive at the pool where she works. One day, she runs into an old friend who is now a swimming instructor. As her friend prepares for maternity leave, she rekindles Se-eun’s forgotten dreams, sparking her attempt to transform her workplace into the field of her aspirations. This is a compelling story of a woman who turns her weaknesses into strengths. (KANG Sowon)

Trailer:

Escape Velocity by Park Se-yong – Korea | 2024 – 30 minutes | World Premiere

Jaehyeon, who works at a bike shop, learns that the owner of a motorcycle that was left unclaimed for several months has died in an accident. He delivers the bike to the man’s widow. What follows is a beautiful ride shared by two people, each grappling with the vast and immeasurable gap between “hard to accept” and “impossible to fathom” in the face of tragedy. (KANG Sowon)

Trailer:

Just Another Film by Jung Bit-areum – Korea | 2024 – 27 minutes | World Premiere

Junyeong works part-time at a pub while also making a documentary about laid-off workers. She is losing her confidence, wondering if she is making a film that no one will see, let alone change the world. The simple, unadorned plot amplifies its relatability in this film about film. (KANG Sowon)

Trailer:

Lao San by Wang Ziming – China | 2024 – 17 minutes | World Premiere

Lao San is about a boy named Erguang in a rural village, whose father is absent and mother plans to go to the city for work. He has to move to his aunt’s home while he is only obsessed with finding his friend. (PARK Sungho)

Trailer:

MICHELLE by Park Syeyoung – Korea | 2024 – 17 minutes | World Premiere

A couple on the brink of breaking up decide to spend one last day together to resuscitate their relationship until sunrise at an inn on the East coast. With just 15 minutes left until sunrise, they wait—perhaps for a breakup or the end of the world. This minimalist film, set in a confined space and filled with close-ups of the two actors, tells a story about light. (KANG Sowon)

Trailer:

The Black Dog by Yang Ling – Taiwan | 2024 – 20 minutes | World Premiere

The Black Dog is about Mo, a husband and father, who worries a lot about losing his wife to cancer and raising their 10-year-old daughter alone. His daughter finds him crying out in his sleep. (PARK Sungho)

Trailer:

The Last Day by Farzad Samimi – Iran | 2024 -13 minutes | World Premiere

The Last Day is the story of a mother whose son is in prison. While they console their grief by sharing the last meal she brought, outside the room, bored prison staff are preparing the execution. (PARK Sungho)

Trailer:

threefor100: or the thrifting of love and various other things by Cedrick Labadia – Philippines | 2024 – 20 minutes | International Premiere

A bored employee in a thrift store gets scolded by the owner for not being proactive enough. Even the fish in the tank are watching the drama unfold. (PARK Sungho)

Trailer:

WavyWavy by Kim Ye-won – Korea | 2024 – 24 minutes | World Premiere

Two girls with the same name meet at a swimming pool and quickly become best friends. Yet, the fear of being alone again looms over them. As their dark emotions from this fear rise to the surface, the story takes a dramatic turn with a big splash in this thriller about teenage girls. (KANG Sowon)

Trailer:

Yurim by Song Jiseo – Korea | 2024 – 30 minutes | World Premiere

In the winter following her college entrance exams, 19-year-old Yurim wanders the streets with her best friend Seonmi, who ran away from her broken home. Beginning with a documentary-like touch, their journey, filled with desperation and heartfelt emotions, takes them from a hospital to a jewelry store, and finally to their teacher’s house. The chilling tone of the retrospective voice-over at the end leaves a lasting impression. (KANG Sowon)

Trailer:

For this festival we also recommended 10 Documentaries (See HERE) and 20 Feature Films (See PART 1 and PART 2).

More information: https://www.biff.kr/eng/