Iranian film 'Midday Meal' wins top honor at 31st BIFF

By Baek Byung-yeul

• Published Oct 15, 2026 9:18 PM KST
• Updated Oct 15, 2026 9:24 PM KST

Iranian director Majid Majidi's "Midday Meal" won the Best Film Award, a grand prize at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on Thursday, securing a direct entry for consideration at the upcoming Academy Awards.

The top honor was announced during the closing ceremony at the Busan Cinema Center outdoor theater in Busan. Hosted solely by actor Yim Si-wan, the event wrapped up a 10-day festival run that began on Oct. 6.

Jury President Zhang Yimou praised "Midday Meal" as the ideal film and noted that all seven jury members agreed unanimously on the selection.

Starting this year, the grand prize winner under the Busan Award competition section automatically gains qualification to submit for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. The Best Film Award also comes with a cash prize of 50 million won ($37,180).

Receiving the award, Majidi expressed his gratitude to the festival. He said it was an honor to receive such a huge prize on his first visit to Busan, adding that the energy came from the love of his late mother.

"This award means everything to my journey," Majidi said during his acceptance speech.

The jury evaluated 13 invited titles in the competition section from across Asia, including Korea, Japan, China, Iran, Uzbekistan and Indonesia.

Other major honors under the Busan Award section went to prominent regional filmmakers. Taiwanese director Lee Yun Chan took home the Best Director Award for "To Be Ordinary." Indonesian director Eddie Cahyono won the Special Jury Award for "My Mother."

This year's festival recorded a total attendance of 200,043, marking the first time since 2015 that BIFF surpassed the 200,000 milestone. Organizers attributed the increase in audience numbers to moving the opening day from Wednesday to Tuesday and increasing daily screenings from four to five.