European Film Promotion (EFP), a consortium of 37 national film organizations, is devoted to bringing the richness of European cinema and its creators to the attention of the international film industry and press. This year in Busan, EFP will back 69 European titles invited to the festival, alongside the participation of 19 global distributors connected to the network.

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is once again collaborating with EFP to present the EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN+ IN FILM showcase, following its successful runs at both the Sydney and Rio de Janeiro International Film Festivals earlier this year. Sixteen films directed by women from across Europe have been selected for the Busan program, offering audiences an opportunity to experience the wide scope of stories and perspectives shaping contemporary European cinema.

Seo Seunghee, BIFF’s Programmer for European selections, expressed:

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with EFP on the VOICES OF WOMEN+ IN FILM program. This year, the festival is welcoming more European filmmakers, actors, and producers than ever before – including celebrated master Marco Bellocchio. What’s particularly meaningful is the strong presence of women filmmakers, each bringing distinct perspectives and artistic visions.

On Stage in Busan: Talks, Screenings, and New Voices

Talk-to-Talk: Cut! Then Action – Rising Women Filmmakers Speak Out

Films by female directors will feature prominently across multiple BIFF sections.

Icons will present new works from major auteurs: Romería by Carla Simón (Golden Bear winner), Silent Friend by Hungarian visionary Ildikó Enyedi, Alpha by Palme d’Or recipient Julia Ducournau, and the latest film from acclaimed Polish director Agnieszka Holland.

World Cinema includes a rich selection of European talent: Don’t Let the Sun (Jacqueline Zünd), The Little Sister (Hafsia Herzi), Sound of Falling (Mascha Schilinski), Sweetheart (Margherita Spampinato), God Will Not Help (Hana Jušić), Adam’s Sake (Laura Wandel), That Summer in Paris (Valentine Cadic), The Currents (Milagros Mumenthaler), and The Voice of Hind Rajab (Kaouther Ben Hania).

Flash Forward, spotlighting early-career filmmakers outside Asia, will feature A Year of School by Laura Samani (previously shown in Venice’s Orizzonti) and Her Will Be Done by Julia Kowalski (from Cannes Directors’ Fortnight).

Wide Angle expands the lens with fresh approaches in short and documentary formats, including Sepideh Farsi’s Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, which resonated strongly at ACID Cannes 2025.

Esteemed directors such as Laura Samani, Laura Wandel, Margherita Spampinato, Valentine Cadic, Jacqueline Zünd, Julia Kowalski, Ildikó Enyedi, and Sepideh Farsi will be attending BIFF. Continuing tradition, the EFP x BIFF Networking Party will also return, hosted in collaboration with Cinecittà to spotlight European filmmakers.

A special Talk-to-Talk session titled Cut! Then Action: Stories from Rising Women Filmmakers will foster dialogue between Asian and European directors. Taking place on Saturday, September 20 at 12 PM on the BIFF Outdoor Stage, the conversation will include Laura Samani, Valentine Cadic, Jacqueline Zünd, and Julia Kowalski.

EFP’s Managing Director, Sonja Heinen, emphasized the importance of the program:

We are delighted to bring this initiative to Busan for the first time. Our goal is to encourage exchange between Asian and European directors while engaging festival audiences in a meaningful conversation. The films chosen grapple with deeply human themes – from personal and collective trauma to questions of identity, future anxieties, and the weight of memory – all while highlighting the remarkable artistic variety of today’s European women filmmakers.

Featured image courtesy of the Busan International Film Festival

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