Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurated in 1997, the festival focuses on South Korean and international horror, thriller, mystery and fantasy films, with particular attention to Asian cinema from East Asia and Southeast Asia. The 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival was held from 8 to 18 July 2021, it featured 257 films from 47 countries. The film festival due to the impact of  the COVID-19 is held in a 'hybrid' format (online and offline) at 5 different locations including Oul Madang and CGV Picnic. As per quarantine guidelines for COVID-19 pandemic containment, online screening of 154 films (61 feature films, 93 short films), which is about 60 % of the entire film festival are open on WAAVE over-the-top (OTT) service. Program. The festival's programming consists of following sections: Awards. The festival is a non-competitive international film festivals with partial competition. It gives away following awards: Boycott. The festival faced a boycott in 2005 to protest what was seen by critics  as meddling by Bucheon mayor Hong Geon-pyo. A rival event called RealFanta was organized that year on the same dates as BiFan by former festival director Kim Hong-joon. The festival returned in 2006 without any dispute under the direction of veteran filmmaker Lee Jang-ho and a new programming team.