These are fifteen short films you shouldn’t miss at the Busan International Short Film Festival, which will take place from April 23 – 28, 2026 in Busan, South Korea.

An Overly Sensitive Visit by Kwon Hyunji – South Korea | 2026 – 30 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Competition 3

Suffering from chronic constipation and severe abdominal pain, Guija heads to the hospital with her niece Yuri, who has recently returned from Canada. As a series of increasingly uncomfortable situations unfolds along the way, Guija’s swelling backside grows beyond control, mirroring the mounting tension of their journey. (BISFF 2026)

Broken Dawn by Park Haeoh – South Korea | 2025 – 16 minutes
Section: Korean Competition 3

In the gentle hush of dawn, when the world rests, Youngok an old woman, drifts through quiet streets. She drives others’ cars home, seeking a friendly voice. To calm her lonely heart, she wanders the night. But harsh words and silent glances greet her, her quiet voice slipping into the dark. Under a soft yellow glow, Youngok keeps on driving, through a dawn that lingers, unanchored. (BISFF 2026)

Dear Wolgeum by Kim Soyeon – South Korea | 2026 – 23 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Competition 3

Wolgeum applies for home care benefits for her husband Jaeho, but is frustrated by the rigorous screening process. Meanwhile, she learns from her friends the secret to passing the re-screening. (BISFF 2026)

Gyeong-Ae by Seo Sangwoo – South Korea | 2025 – 25 minutes
Section: Korean Competition 1

Gyeongae owns and operates a handmade noodle restaurant in a tranquil Korean countryside. She suspects Mijung, her most senior employee, of stealing from the register. Upon reviewing her security camera footage, Gyeongae unexpectedly witnesses her son, Hyunwoo’s improper interaction with her young Chinese employee, Shanshan. Within the shared confines of this restaurant, proximity breeds intensity and disparate emotions collide at their deepest levels. (BISFF 2026)

Hanako by Jeong Eunuk – South Korea | 2026 – 30 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Competition 2

Online Korean language instructor Mijeong is gripped by an unexplainable anxiety after witnessing a random act of violence. The fear begins to seep into her everyday life. Then one of her students tells her she knows a way to escape this world. (BISFF 2026)

Heart Hanging by a Thread by Heo Yoon – South Korea | 2025 – 30 minutes
Section: Korean Competition 5

Ahn lives suspended between the present and the past, reality and oblivion. One day, through her fingers seared by cigarette burns, a long, thread-like worm makes its way into her body. (BISFF 2026)

Honey, My Love, So Sweet by JT Trinidad – Philippines | 2025 – 20 minutes | Korean Premiere
Section: International Competition 1

In a decaying cinema in the heart of Manila, Life discovers first love through films and their new friend’s father. (BISFF 2026)

Missing: Sewing Machine by Bae Juyeon – South Korea | 2026 – 19 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Operation Kino 1

Once the vibrant hub of Busan’s apparel industry, the Sewing Street now sits quietly, largely forgotten by the city’s residents. The rhythmic hum of sewing machines has fallen silent, and people have gradually left the street behind. Is disappearing truly the end—or is it simply surviving in a different form? (BISFF 2026)

Palimpsest by Park Jiwon – South Korea | 2025 – 16 minutes
Section: Korean Competition 1

A woman puts her house up for sale. When a mother and daughter come to view it, their gaze unsettles her. (BISFF 2026)

Pile On by Lu Hu – China | 2025 – 30 minutes | World Premiere
Section: International Competition 2

Set in 1990s Shenyang during massive industrial layoffs, 10-year-old Xiaohu gathers his friends while his parents attend a wedding. Left unsupervised, the children mimic adult behaviors—drinking, swearing, and exploring forbidden desires. Their reckless roleplay soon channels the jealousy and rage of the grown-up world, spiraling into a surreal tragedy. Fleeing the chaotic aftermath, a shaken Xiaohu arrives at the wedding party, only to face a chilling revelation: the destructive madness that consumed their childish games is merely a perfect mirror of adult reality. (BISFF 2026)

Sound from Neighbors by Lee Nayun – South Korea | 2026 – 20 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Operation Kino 1

Single mothers raising children alone jump into the workforce to support their livelihood. Paradoxically, they must leave their children’s side in order to protect them. Yet, society dismisses the resulting gap in care as mere personal negligence. What fills this void is the interest and warmth of neighbors. Just as the proverb says, “It takes a whole village to raise a child,” this film captures how simple daily greetings and a shared meal can become a strong pillar that sustains a family. (BISFF 2026)

The Apple Doesn’t Fall by Dean Wei – China | 2026 – 19 minutes | Asian Premiere
Section: International Competition 8

A portrait of an ordinary “one child” Chinese family in their habitat an ordinary apartment. Over the course of five nights their lives range from unremarkable to downright banal as the characters slip in and out of their respective roles. (BISFF 2026)

The Wishes by Lee Jiwon – South Korea | 2025 – 18 minutes
Section: Korean Competition 4

On the last night of his grandmother’s funeral, a young boy named Kang falls into a pit dug as a burial site. There, he encounters a giant serpent. The film is based on a Korean folk tale, the legend of “imugi”. An imugi is a giant serpent that failed to become a dragon, and as a lowly monster, it is always filled with anger. However, it is said that if it succeeds in ascending to the heavens as a dragon, it can become a divine being capable of bringing rain to the earth. (BISFF 2026)

Wanderer Fantasy by Kim Hyojun – South Korea | 2025 – 20 minutes
Section: Korean Competition 5

As Sunghee, a middle school senior aspiring to become a pianist, prepares for her entrance exam to an arts high school, she finds herself unexpectedly confused during a lesson on Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy. What does it really mean to play in a “feminine” way? (BISFF 2026)

What Do You See in Me? by Hwang Jiu – South Korea | 2025 – 30 minutes
Section: Korean Competition 2

Jeongha is curious about the relationship between her colleagues Hyeongwon and Sujin in the same production. They seemed like a couple, but why do they dislike each other so much? Jeongha can’t stop wondering about these two, who are hard to read. One day, Sujin reaches out to her. (BISFF 2026)

For more information, please visit: https://www.bisff.org/eng/