Zhang Yimou to chair jury at 31st Busan International Film Festival

Director Zhang Yimou has been named jury president of the competition section at the 31st Busan International Film Festival, set to open next month.

The festival announced Thursday the full lineup of seven jurors for the competition section, with Zhang heading the panel.

Zhang will oversee the judging of 13 competition films this year. A globally acclaimed filmmaker, he has swept the top prizes at all three of the world's major film festivals — the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, and the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Zhang also drew wide attention for directing the opening and closing ceremonies of both the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. His best-known works include "Red Sorghum" (1988), "Raise the Red Lantern" (1991) and "To Live" (1994). His ties with the Busan International Film Festival stretch back to 2010, when his film "Under the Hawthorn Tree" opened the festival, and he has maintained a consistent presence ever since.

The jury joining Zhang is drawn from directors, actors and producers active across Asia.

This year's competition jury includes director Bi Gan, Kazakh actor Samal Yeslyamova, Japanese director Kei Ishikawa and Vietnamese producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc. Also on the panel is director Jeong Ju-ri, the first Korean woman director to have every one of her features — from her debut "A Girl at My Door" (2014) to her third film "Dora" (2026) — selected for the Cannes Film Festival. Rounding out the jury is actor Choi Hee-seo, who stars in and produces "Bedford Park" (2026), one of this year's Busan selections.

"A master director celebrated by critics worldwide, a powerhouse actor and a producer with sharp on-set instincts have come together," the festival said. "Drawing on the perspectives and experience each has built in their respective fields, they will closely examine the achievements and new possibilities of this year's competition entries."

The "Busan Awards" ceremony, held alongside the closing night, will present prizes in five categories: the Grand Prize, Best Director, Special Jury Prize, Best Performance and the Artistic Contribution Award. Total prize money amounts to 110 million won ($80,400).

The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs Oct. 6 to 15 at the Busan Cinema Center.