Opening
The opening film, The King’s Warden, is a historical drama that tells the poignant story of the exile of the ill-fated child king Yi Hong-wi. A phenomenal box-office success in South Korea, the film attracted more than 16 million admissions by April following its February release, making it the second most-watched and the highest-grossing film in Korean cinematic history.
Fresh
The Fresh section presents a selection of the most exciting works of contemporary Korean cinema. Spanning a wide range of genres, the program includes an identity drama, a romantic comedy, a supernatural thriller, a demon-hunting action film, and a crime drama.
Faces
The Faces section, which each year spotlights one of the defining voices of Korean cinema, is dedicated this year to director Yoon Ga-eun, whose films offer sensitive and deeply human portrayals of childhood and youth.
Focus
This year’s Focus section explores the road movie. In these films, the journey becomes both a geographical adventure and a path of personal transformation, telling stories of shared travel, family trauma, and the search for one’s true self.
Extra
The Extra section features a special selection presented by the festival’s official partner, the Jeonju International Film Festival. The directors of two of these films will visit Budapest to introduce their works in person and meet audiences in post-screening discussions.
Closing
The closing film is a comedy based on the popular webtoon of the same name. With fresh humor and a playful take on zombie movie conventions, it is at once a family drama and a survival story infused with dark comedy. Through the extraordinary circumstances of a zombie apocalypse, the film celebrates the power of love, acceptance, and human connection.