Asia’s largest film festival is back with a bang this year.

This year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) promises many sights to see, from up-and-coming Korean American film directors and actors ranging from John Cho to Luc Besson. More than 30 big and small events will be offered during the festival, which begins on Oct. 4 and runs through Oct. 13.

Kicking off the roster is “Because I Hate Korea,” the opening screening for which will be held at the main theater of the Busan Cinema Center on Oct. 4.

Based on the novel of the same name by author Chang Kang-myoung, “Because I Hate Korea” stars Go Ah-sung as a young woman in her late 20s who leaves her seemingly perfect life in Korea behind and takes off for New Zealand. Tickets to the screening for “Because I Hate Korea” have already sold out, but the BIFF organizers plan to announce additional screenings within the week.

Three gala presentations, where screenings are held with red carpet events during which festivalgoers and fans to have the chance to see the directors and actors in person, will be held between Oct. 5 to 7 in and around the Busan Cinema Center and CGV Centum City.

“Green Night,” by Hong Kong director Shuai Han, “Monster,” by Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and “The Beast” by French Canadian director Bertrand Bonello are the three gala presentation section films.

A masterclass event with Kazuo Hara, a Japanese documentary film director who specializes in making documentaries about people with disabilities or those who “push against the boundaries of propriety and obedience in Japanese society,” according to the New York Times, will be held on Oct. 9 at the KNN Tower Theater. The masterclass event is a comprehensive session where Hara will talk about his five-decade-long experience as a documentary filmmaker and sharing insights into the art.

Four Actor’s House sessions are lined up for those who wish to converse with the biggest names in Korean cinema, namely, Song Joong-ki, Youn Yuh-jung, Han Hyo-joo and Korean American actor John Cho. These Actor’s House sessions will be held between Oct. 5 to Oct. 7 at KNN Tower Theater, and the hosts will receive questions directly from the audience.

A total of 12 Open Talk events are also available. Also to be held between Oct. 5 to Oct. 7 at the Busan Cinema Center, the Open Talk events focus on a specific theme or a single film. Most notable among the 12 is the Korean American Special Session on Korean Diaspora, where the likes of Steven Yeun, Lee Isaac Chung, Justin Chun, Teo Yoo and John Cho — all prominent actors and directors in the Hollywood scene — will share their insights and talk about ways in which native Korean and Korean diasporic creators can work together in the film industry. Other Open Talk sessions include those on the upcoming Disney+ drama “Vigilante,” neo-noir film “Hopeless” and director Kim Jee-woon’s newest work, “Cobweb.”

Eleven outdoor greetings are prepared for those who want to participate in a more lighthearted and simple meet-and-greet with filmmakers. “In Water” by film festival favorite Hong Sang-soo, is one of the films in the list of outdoor greetings, and a special greeting with stars from Indonesia will be held on Oct. 7.

With the rise of streaming services, film festivals have also started to keep up with the trend by giving out awards to works shown exclusively on platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Watcha and more. The 2023 Asia Content Awards & Global OTT Awards will be held on Oct. 8 at the Busan Cinema Center and will also be available for streaming on YouTube.

Two special talk sessions with none other than director Lee Chang-dong and Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi will each be held on Oct. 5 and Oct. 10. Lee’s most famous masterpiece, “Poetry” (2010), will be the subject of the first special talk session, while Hamaguchi’s newest work “Evil Does Not Exist” will be talked of in the second.

The Chinese film “The Movie Emperor,” starring Andy Lau as a Hong Kong film star who vies for a prestigious award and pulls many strings to make it happen, will be screened as the closing film for this year’s BIFF. It will be screened on Oct. 12 at CGV Centum City.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]