WKWSCI Lecturer Ivan Tan’s She Said to compete at Busan International Film Festival

WKWSCI Lecturer Ivan Tan’s latest short film, She Said《她说》, will make its world premiere at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where it has been selected for the Wide Angle: Asian Short Film Competition. Busan International Film festival is one of Asia’s leading film festivals and was recently designated an A-List competitive film festival by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).

Written and directed by Ivan and starring acclaimed actress Fan Bingbing in the leading role, She Said is one of just 10 films selected from 2,258 submissions. The film tells the story of Ling, a migrant worker who reveals her past as a love scam caller when her boyfriend proposes to her.

The selection marks a meaningful return to Busan for Ivan. A WKWSCI alumnus who is now a Lecturer at the School, Ivan first attended BIFF as a student in 2012. Fourteen years later, he returns to the festival with She Said in competition, bringing his filmmaking journey full circle.

The film was shot over five days across nine locations in Malaysia, with the production involving long filming hours and challenging locations including a 1066-foot cave. Ivan praised Fan’s dedication to the project, her first foray into a short film, and described her performance as key to helping the story to reach its full potential.

Through She Said, Ivan continues to explore universal questions of memory, truth, and the indomitable spirit of a woman through the medium of cinema.

The film is presented by Sunstrong Entertainment and Giraffe Pictures, with support from the Singapore Film Commission.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival takes place from 6 to 15 October 2026.

Read more about She Said in Ivan’s interview with 8 World.