10 Must-see short films from the 31st Busan International Film Festival 2026

By Asian Film Festival on October 5, 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

These are ten short films you shouldn’t miss at the Busan International Film Festival (South Korea) which will take place from October 6 – 15, 2026.

All of Her by Kim Nam-hyeon – Korea | 2026 – 21 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Korean Short Film Competition

Kyeonghwan is about to be married, but his girlfriend’s dog bothers him. One night, he takes the dog for a walk and ends up making a terrible mistake. Then his nightmare begins. The shift from romance to body horror is visually surreal, yet psychologically all too real, making this strange fantasy even more memorable. (KANG Sowon)

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Amateur Energy by Tae Jiwon – Korea | 2026 – 15 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Korean Short Film Competition

Upon her return from a trip, Ha-eun declares that she is going to write poetry, while her older sister Hajeong is moved by a love letter from her boyfriend, written in English. These are the unremarkable days of the unremarkable sisters Ha-eun and Hajeong. As the title suggests, Ha-eun’s attempts at poetry and the film itself are full of amateur energy, but now and then something sparkles. (KANG Sowon)

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Baby Doe by Cho Heesoo – Korea | 2026 – 24 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Korean Short Film Competition

In 2050, the Republic of Korea has become the country with the largest number of illegal immigrants. Detective Genie is chasing after the ‘Yellow Flock’, a criminal organization run by unregistered children. But the more she pursues these children who have become ghosts even though they are alive, the more she comes face to face with her own childhood. This visually excellent crime drama shows a new side of Lee Na-young, who plays two different characters. (KANG Sowon)

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Chumpa: A Doll Under the Basket by Rajesh Prasad Khatri – Nepal | 2026 – 20 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Asian Short Film Competition

Fourteen-year-old Muna wants nothing more than to stay in school, but her dreams are crushed by her village’s rigid tradition of forced early marriage. She turns to her teacher for help, only to be dismissed by the villagers, who ask what use an education could possibly be. In the end, the wedding proceeds, and her dream seems to fade with no way out. (PARK Sungho)

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Dear Sunshine by Goo Jiyoon – Korea | 2026 – 11 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Korean Short Film Competition

Na-yeon, a nurse who works night shifts, can sleep during the day. But there are days when she cannot. Dear Sunshine tells the story of the day when her younger sister Na-eun, who has a disability, interrupts her daytime sleep. Is it a special day? A tiring yet touching day is seen through Na-yeon’s eyes. One day cut from the lives of sisters for whom every day is extraordinary. (KANG Sowon)

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Fatima by Soroush Shahpouri – Iran | 2026 – 14 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Asian Short Film Competition

Fatima is a model student at her strict school and an obedient daughter to her overprotective father. But in secret, she smokes and trains her voice, developing real singing talent. In a society where singing in public is taboo, she can never let her guard down. (PARK Sungho)

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She Said by Ivan Tan – Singapore | 2026 – 21 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Asian Short Film Competition

Ling (Fan Bingbing) receives a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. She wants to accept, but confesses that she’s hiding a dark past — she once escaped a scam compound where she was forced to run romance scams. Having deceived others by holding love hostage, how much of what she says can be trusted? (PARK Sungho)

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Tale of Tails by Shim Sujeong – Korea | 2026 – 19 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Korean Short Film Competition

Teenage girls draw in a picturesque field. Loner Jimin feels that her chance has come when Minji, the popular girl everyone adores, is bitten by a venomous snake. Combining an absurd game, wild camerawork, beautiful music, and manic urges spreading like venom, this film will be hard to forget, whether you like it or not. (KANG Sowon)

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The Distant Home by Gong Seonjeong – Korea | 2026 – 29 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Korean Short Film Competition

Su-a arrives in Yangsan to visit her grandmother, but she is not home. The old lady is not someone with many places to go – just the bathhouse or the Buddhist temple. Su-a spends the day wandering through the streets in search of her grandmother, and the search is captured with a sincere, documentary touch. A young person’s view of old age, filmed with warmth and care. (KANG Sowon)

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The Things That Vanish by Ikeda Kenta – Japan | 2026 – 14 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Wide Angle – Asian Short Film Competition

In an old house by a remote lake, 81-year-old Sumie lives alone, her memory slowly fading. Michi, the 27-year-old caregiver who comes to look after her, has a slight tendency to steal. Michi feels guilty for not having returned an old wristwatch she found. (PARK Sungho)

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