The 30th Busan International Film Festival(BIFF), which drew large audiences with more titles and star-studded events, is set to end Friday with a ceremony honoring the winners of its new competition section. 

Organizers said during a press conference at the cinema center earlier in the day that 175-thousand-889 people had attended the ten-day event, an increase of about 20-thousand guests from the previous year's festival.

Fourteen notable Asian titles are contending for best film, best director, the special jury prize, best actor and an honor for artistic contribution at the inaugural Busan Awards. 

The results will be announced during the closing ceremony at the Busan Cinema Center, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

A total of 328 films played on 31 screens in seven theaters across the southern port city of Busan, with seven-thousand-36 domestic and international filmmakers invited as guests. 

BIFF Chairperson Park Kwang-su said the higher turnout, while unexpected, was likely due to the festival's additional titles, screenings and programs such as Community BIFF and the Carte Blanche event, which featured directors Bong Joon-ho, Michael Mann and Maggie Kang. 

The organizers also revealed that two films — Daisuke Shigaya's "Leave the Cat Alone" and Vimukthi Jayasundara's "Spying Stars" — had secured international sales agents after being invited to the Busan Awards. 

BIFF Director Jung Han-seok said, "In aiming to build a more influential platform for Asian cinema, we've also affirmed the festival's value to the industry." 

As the number of moviegoers in Korea drops amid competition from streaming and declining cinema investment, Kang called for more active financial support from the government to help BIFF “develop into the largest film festival in the world.”