The 31st Busan International Film Festival has announced the lineup for its Master Class, Cine Class and Special Talk sessions, bringing together an international roster of directors, producers and performers to reflect on their careers. The programme highlights Busan's role as a major platform for Asian and world cinema, pairing established festival favourites with figures making their first appearances at the event, including Japanese animator Rintaro returning to Korea after 17 years.

Master Class features four directors: Na Hong-Jin, Lav Diaz, Bertrand Mandico and Rintaro. Cine Class, now in its second year, gathers six industry figures including Zhang Lu, documentary maker Seifollah Samadian, actor-turned-advocate Judith Godrèche, producer Billy Acumen, director Bi Gan and actor Shim Eun-kyung. Special Talk rounds out the schedule with appearances by producer Kim Tae-ho, Camellia Award recipient Ann Hui, and a session led by critic Jung Sung-il examining Korean film history through the late actor Ahn Sung-ki. The festival runs from 6 to 15 October at the Busan Cinema Center and other venues, alongside the Asian Contents & Film Market from 10 to 13 October.