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Bucheon International Animation Festival BIAF 2026: First Selection Results

ZF Team 10 August 2026

Growing Stones, Flying papers animation film still

Growing Stones, Flying papers ©Roozbeh Gezerseh and Soraya Shamsi

The 28th Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF2026), taking place from 23–27 October 2026, has announced the first lineup of its Official Selections, featuring 9 films in the Graduation Films Competition, 8 works in the TV & Commissioned Competition, and 19 films in the Korean Short Competition.

Graduation Films Competition

The Graduation Films Competition presents nine outstanding works by emerging animators from around the world, bringing together distinctive visual styles, imaginative storytelling, and fresh perspectives from the next generation of animation filmmakers.

The selection includes 'Growing Stones, Flying Papers', recipient of the Joint Third Prize at La Cinef 2026, and 'Bird Rhapsody' by Korean director Choi Wonjung. Both films were selected for the La Cinef selection at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, while 'Bird Rhapsody' will have its Asian premiere at BIAF2026. The competition also features La Cinef selection Pickled by UK filmmaker Fanny Capu.

Growing Stones, Flying Papers
Director: Roozbeh Gezerseh & Soraya Shamsi | Germany | Joint Third Prize, La Cinef 2026
Under a growing dictatorship, a hidden writer must choose between silence and action when his neighbor is endangered.

Bird Rhapsody
Director: Choi Wonjung | South Korea | Asian Premiere
A rhapsody for those who keep falling in pursuit of desire, yet long for the freedom to fly.

Pickled
Director: Fanny Capu | United Kingdom
After her Granny’s death, Eddie must decide whether to carry on a family tradition of pickling everything to preserve their history.

Bird Rhapsody, Choi Wonjung

TV & Commissioned Competition

The TV & Commissioned Competition presents eight notable works spanning a wide range of animation formats, genres, and storytelling approaches, from adaptations and original works to stories inspired by history and contemporary culture.

The selection includes 'Nanolist', an animated adaptation of a popular Korean webtoon, and 'The World Is Dancing', which explores the origins of Noh through the story of young Zeami. It also features 'FukuFuku Map' by acclaimed Japanese director Sunao Katabuchi, which explores the living culture of Fukushima through an unexpected journey.

Nanolist
Director: Shin Changhwan | South Korea
An animated adaptation of a popular Korean webtoon. A teenager’s birthday gift turns out to be the world’s most powerful android weapon, leading to an unexpected adventure.

The World Is Dancing
Director: Toshimasa Kuroyanagi | Japan
Young Zeami, searching for the meaning of human existence through dance, embarks on a journey that will lead to the creation of Noh.

FukuFuku Map
Director: Sunao Katabuchi | Japan
A French philosopher discovers the living culture of Fukushima through a strange and unexpected journey.

Nanolist animation film still

Nanolist, Shin Changhwan

Korean Short Competition

The Korean Short Competition introduces nineteen films showcasing the diversity, originality, and creative energy of contemporary Korean animation. The selection brings together emerging filmmakers and established creators working across a broad range of subjects, styles, and animation techniques.

Among the highlights is Little Feet, the latest work by Nho Youngran, animation director of the Academy Award-winning short 'If Anything Happens I Love You '.

Little Feet
Director: Nho Youngran | South Korea
A baby embarks on a poetic journey from the sky to find their mother, guided by an invisible bond of love that transcends time and place.

The nineteen selected films reflect the evolving landscape of Korean animation, presenting diverse artistic approaches and distinctive voices from a new generation of filmmakers.

Here's the selection list of the 2026 BIAF Festival.