BIFF Square, Public square in Nampo-dong, Busan, South Korea
BIFF Square is an open public square in the Nampo-dong neighborhood of Busan, South Korea, known for its connection to the Busan International Film Festival. A narrow alley runs between two cinemas at its center, with a small stage at one end used for festival events and screenings.
The square took its current name in August 1996 when the Busan International Film Festival launched and chose this area as its base. Before that, Nampo-dong was mainly known as a port district with busy commercial streets.
Handprints of well-known Korean actors and filmmakers are set into the ground along the alley between the two cinemas on the square. Visitors often stop to compare their hands with those of their favorite stars.
The square sits in Nampo-dong, within easy walking distance of the Nampo and Jagalchi subway stations. The streets are lit in the evening and most food stalls and shops stay open well past sunset, so a visit at either time of day works well.
Although the square is busy all year, the film festival that gave it its name lasts only a few days each autumn. For the rest of the year, the square is as well known for its street food, especially Ssiat Hotteok, a sweet pancake filled with seeds, as for its film connections.
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