Rima Das's 'Not A Hero' leads Indian wave at Busan Film Festival premiere

On Saturday 10 October 2026 the 31st Busan International Film Festival staged the world premiere of 'Not A Hero', the latest feature from acclaimed Assamese filmmaker Rima Das, as a highlight of its mid-festival weekend. The film screened in the festival's A Window on Asian Cinema strand at the Busan Cinema Center. The same day featured a second major world premiere, 'The Soul Whisperer (Chevittorma)', an Actors' House event with Korean star Shin Mina, and master classes by French director Bertrand Mandico ('A Magician of Wild Cinema') and Japanese animation legend Rintaro. Indian films drew particular attention this edition of the festival, which runs 6 to 15 October 2026, with Hansal Mehta-backed thriller 'Birds in the Dark' also in competition and multiple short-film selections from South Asia. Das, known internationally for 'Village Rockstars' and 'Bulbul Can Sing', again shoots in her native Chhaygaon in Assam with a non-professional cast. 'Not A Hero' follows a reluctant young protagonist caught between a flood-prone village and migrant labour in a nearby city. The festival overlaps with the Asian Contents and Film Market, held in Busan from 10 to 13 October, drawing more than 2,000 industry delegates.