The 34th Buil Film Awards nominations were officially announced on July 25, 2025, revealing a strong showing from the spy thriller Harbin, which secured seven nominations the most of any film including Best Film, Best Director (Woo Min ho), Best Actor (Hyun Bin), Best Supporting Actor (Jo Woo jin), Best Cinematography, Art & Technical, and Best Music. Trailing closely is the acclaimed romantic drama Love in the Big City, which garnered four major nominations: Best Director (E.oni), Best Actress (Kim Go eun), Best New Actor (Noh Sang hyun), and Best Music (Primary) (Globedge)
Nomination Highlights
Harbin
Leading the pack with seven nominations, Harbin is recognized across performance, technical, and directing categories.
Hyun Bin earned a Best Actor nod, underscoring his central role in the film’s acclaim (Wikipedia, Chosunbiz).
Love in the Big City
Though fewer in total, its nominations span critical categories: Best Actress (Kim Go eun), Best New Actor (Noh Sang hyun), Best Director, and Best Music.
Kim Go eun’s starring role and Noh Sang hyun’s breakout performance earned strong attention (Wikipedia).
Other Major Contenders
Also earning multiple nominations are:
Uprising, with six nods across categories that include Best Film, Supporting Actor, Music, and Screenplay (Wikipedia).
Notable films such as House of the Seasons, Land of Happiness, and Victory appear in Supporting and New Talent categories, reflecting a diverse field of recognized talent.
In supporting categories:
Best Supporting Actor nominees include Jung Hae in (The Executioner), Oh Man seok (House of the Seasons), Park Jeong min (Uprising), Jo Woo jin (Harbin), and Yoo Jae myung (Land of Happiness).
Best Supporting Actress finalists include Jeon Yeo been (Dark Nuns), Ha Yoon‑kyung (Concerning My Daughter), Claudia Kim (A Normal Family), Yang Hee kyung (The Seagulls of the Morning Sea), and Chae Won bin (Yadang: The Snitch) (Wikipedia).
Ceremony Details
The awards ceremony is scheduled for September 18, 2025, at the Signiel Busan Grand Ballroom in Haeundae, Busan (Wikipedia).
The Buil Film Awards, hosted annually by the Busan Ilbo, honors Korean cinematic excellence across 16 categories, spotlighting films released from August 11, 2024, through July 10, 2025 (Wikipedia).
What Stands Out
Harbin
As the most nominated film, Harbin’s recognition spans key awards including Best Film, Director, Actor, and technical categories making it the favorite heading into the ceremony (Wikipedia).
Love in the Big City
It leads among films spotlighting lead performances and emerging talent. Kim Go-eun’s Best Actress nod and Noh Sang‑hyun’s emerging star New Actor nomination affirm the film’s emotional and cultural impact (Wikipedia).
Broader Significance
The dominance of Harbin, an intense spy action feature, reflects the industry’s appetite for gripping thrillers backed by high production values.
Meanwhile, Love in the Big City, a character driven romantic drama, signals strong critical and cultural resonance, particularly in nurturing new talent like Noh Sang‑hyun.
The awards reinforce the Buil Film Awards’ role in spotlighting both established filmmakers and rising stars encouraging a balance between cinematic ambition and evolving talent (Wikipedia, Wikipedia).
Summary
The 2025 Buil Film Awards nominations were announced on July 25, ahead of the September 18 ceremony in Busan.
Harbin leads with 7 nominations, including Best Film, Best Actor, and technical honors.
Love in the Big City secured 4 major nods, spotlighting Best Actress and emerging actor categories.
Additional strong contenders include Uprising and several auteur driven films recognized in talent categories.
The awards continue to serve as a premier platform for recognizing Korean cinema’s excellence and cultural diversity.
