A South Korean film about a North Korean defector has been chosen as the opener for the 23rd Busan International Film Festival next month.

At a press conference Tuesday, the festival's board of directors announced this year's lineup, which includes director Yun Jero's "Beautiful Days," a film about the life of a North Korean woman who defects to South Korea.

The festival running from October fourth to the 13th will close with the action flick "Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy" by Hong Kong director Yuen Woo-Ping.

This year, 323 films from 79 countries have been invited, compared to 300 films from 76 nations last year.

The upcoming festival will feature 115 world premiers, including 85 feature and 30 short films.