The 27th Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF2025, October 24–28) has unveiled its international competition lineup, featuring 39 short films (2 titles to be revealed in mid-September), 12 student films, and 10 TV & commissioned works. 

The Short film competition includes prestigious festival titles such as Cannes Film Festival official selections 'Water Girl' and 'Hypersensitive', Directors’ Fortnight entries 'The Death of a Fish' and 'Bread Will Walk', and Critics’ Week selections 'God is Shy', 'To the Woods' and 'Glasses'. From the Venice Film Festival come competition titles 'Merrimundi' and 'Praying Mantis'. Notably, 'GIANT CRUSH' by CalArts student Luke Lee is the only student work included in the short film competition. 

Highlights

1) God is Shy, Jocelyn Charles, France  
During a train ride, Ariel and Paul meet Gilda, a mysterious passenger, who speaks of a god one can meet when speaking to the sleeping. 

2) Merrimundi, Niles Atallah, Chile 
A twisted utopia unfolds, as singing cherubs melt to the sound of decay. Crafted by a sentient machine from the future, it unveils its own version of paradise. 

3) GIANT CRUSH, Luke Lee, USA 
Two mecha pilots navigate saving the city from a giant monster attack while also navigating their feelings towards each other. 

World Premieres

1) Till the Stars Rise, Yu Yu, Taiwan 
In a world where people can only stay awake for three hours a day due to a comet, Ian sets out on a journey to explore the lives, perspectives, and choices of different families.

2) Sacrebleu–Zelit co-production 'Like a Fairytale'

The Graduation films competition highlights acclaimed works such as 'The Bird from Within' and 'My Grandmother is a Skydiver'. Meanwhile, the TV & commissioned competition features 'Ruka and the Sunflower Part 2', starring Yumi Kawai from 'Look Back', and 'Nina’s Magic Chest', adapted from a popular Korean webtoon. 

1)  My Grandmother is a Skydiver, Polina Piddubna, Germany 
In 1960s Central Asia, Alfyia is studying to become a midwife, when she receives a strange phone call from her granddaughter in 2022, worried about her safety amid the invasion of Ukraine. 

2) Nina’s Magic Chest, YU Yong-ryul, South Korea  
Nina stumbles upon a magic chest that promises to grant three wishes. Hoping only for a decent job, a passionate love, and enough money to secure her modest home, she soon finds herself trapped in a magical realm—where even her humble desires unfold into vivid, dazzling realities. 
 

The Full BIAF 2025 Lineup

Short Films (39) 
A Walk into the Afterlife – JEONG Jiyun (South Korea, Luxembourg, 2024, 4'00") 
Atomik Tour – Bruno COLLET (Czech, France, 2025, 13'02") 
Autokar – Sylwia SZKILADZ (Belgium, France, 2025, 17'00") 
Brain Space – Laura TOFARIDES (Wales/UK, 2025, 8'21") 
Bread Will Walk – Alex BOYA (Canada, 2025, 11'18") 
Facuk – Maida SRABOVIC (Croatia, Slovenia, 2025, 12'47") 
Forevergreen – Nathan ENGELHARDT, Jeremy SPEARS (USA, 2025, 13'04") 
GIANT CRUSH – Luke LEE (USA, 2024, 4'07") 
Glasses – JOUNG Yumi (South Korea, 2025, 15'39") 
God is Shy – Jocelyn CHARLES (France, 2025, 15') 
How A River Is Born – Luma Flôres (Brazil, 2025, 8'33") 
Hypersensitive – Martine FROSSARD (Canada, 2025, 6'44") 
Life with an Idiot – Theodore USHEV (France, 2025, 15') 
Like a Fairy Tale – Kirill KHACHATUROV (Russia, France, Luxembourg, 2025, 16'00") 
Lost Touch – Justine KLAIBER (Switzerland, 2025, 12'24") 
Merrimundi – Niles ATALLAH (Chile, 2025, 21'00") 
Murmuration – Janneke SWINKELS, Tim FRIJSINGER (Netherlands, Belgium, 2025, 12'30") 
Once in a Body – Maria Cristina PEREZ (Colombia, USA, 2025, 10'20") 
Ordinary Life – MIZUSHIRI Yoriko (France, Japan, 2025, 9'48") 
Ovary-Acting – Ida MELUM (UK, 2025, 12'24") 
Praying Mantis – Joe HSIEH (Taiwan, Hong Kong, 2025, 18'09") 
Psychonauts – Niko RADAS (Croatia, 2025, 8') 
Retirement Plan – John KELLY (Ireland, 2024, 7'17") 
Sisowath Quay – Stéphanie LANSAQUE, François LEROY (France, 2025, 15'31") 
Statue in the Garden – YU Qianhui (UK, 2025, 7'38") 
Sulaimani – Vinnie Ann BOSE (India, France, 2025, 20'02") 
Tears – Paulina ZIOLKOWSKA (Germany, Poland, 2025, 9'00") 
Thank You Dr. Farsi – Samaneh SHOJAEI (Iran, 2024, 8'09") 
The Death of the Fish – Eva LUSBARONIAN (France, 2025, 14') 
The Girl Who Cried Pearls – Chris LAVIS, Maciek SZCZERBOWSKI (Canada, 2025, 14'28") 
The Mud under My Window – Violette DELVOYE (France, Belgium, 2025, 12'32") 
The Night Boots – Pierre-Luc GRANJON (France, 2024, 12'22") 
The Pool or Death of a Goldfish – Daria KOPIEC (Poland, 2025, 13'48") 
Till The Stars Rise – YU Yu (Taiwan, 2025, 16'11") 
To the Woods – Agnès PATRON (France, 2025, 15'00") 
Water Girl – Sandra DESMAZIÈRES (France, Netherlands, Portugal, 2025, 15'00") 
Winter in March – Natalia MIRZOYAN (Armenia, Belgium, Estonia, France, 2025, 16'22") 
 
Graduation Films (12) 
Criatura – Nitya RAMLOGAN (UK, 9'20") 
Fawn – Molly MAYHEW (UK, 7'17") 
Fried! – Lizzie WATTS (UK, 9'54") 
Gauze – Noran Fikri ALEZABI, Nicholas ARUJAH, MA Xinyue, YUE Yulin, ZHOU Xiaonan (France, 7'45") 
Hand – WANG Jing (Japan, China, 5'03") 
Line 12 – Sarah SCHULZ, Christopher SCHMIER (Germany, 8'34") 
My Grandmother is a Skydiver – Polina PIDDUBNA (Germany, 13'00") 
Sean the Baby – KIM Jeesuk (USA, 7'03") 
Stone of Destiny – Julie CERNA (Czech, 10'26") 
The Bird from Within – Laura ANAHORY (Portugal, 5'56") 
THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY – Sydney AGANS (USA, 6'36") 
Why Are You Like This? – PARK Sungeun (South Korea, USA, 5'53") 
 
TV & Commissioned (10) 
A Small Garden by the Window – LEE Jonghoon (South Korea, 4'35") 
Cat Angel – XU Yuan (China, 2'50") 
Coldplay – feelslikeimfallinginlove – Raman DJAFARI (UK, 4'22") 
Doomsweepers: Apocalyptic Dream Team – Sarah HARPER (Australia, 4'08") 
Luka and the Flower of the Sun 2 – MURATA Tomoyasu (Japan, 29'00") 
Nina's Magic Chest – YU Yong-ryul (South Korea, 1'15") 
Simon Super Rabbit S5 – Julien CAYOT (France, 5'18") 
Snake – SATO Miyo (Japan, 4'17") 
Sound! Euphonium The Final Movie PV – ISHIHARA Tatsuya (Japan, 2'25") 
You and I Had Seen the Same Thing – JEONG Dahee (South Korea, 5'08") 

Bucheon International Animation Festival takes place from  24-28 October 2025 in Bucheon, South Korea.

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