BIFF is held annually since 1996 in South Korea and is deemed a premier film festival in Asia. The festival has a section called 'A Window on Asian Cinema' that showcases new and/or representative films by the talented Asian filmmakers with their diverse points of view and style. Also, during the festival a retrospective and special showcase of films of a certain notable director or genre are organized.
The 16th BIFF was held on October 6–14, 2011, in which 307 films from 70 countries were screened in which 11,268 people participated including the press.