A man in sunglasses and a floor-length black coat walks a red carpet in Bucheon, South Korea, flanked by two men in matching suits. It looks like a boy band photocall. It's actually Joko Anwar, arriving for the world's third-oldest genre film festival, dressed like he's about to fight a ghost himself.

Ghost in the Cell, Joko Anwar's twelfth feature film, is part of the official selection at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) 2026, running July 2–12 in Bucheon, a satellite city west of Seoul. The festival, marking its 30th anniversary this year, is one of Asia's most respected platforms for horror, fantasy, thriller, and sci-fi cinema. Anwar's film  a horror-comedy set inside a fictional Indonesian prison called Labuan Angsana  is one of six Indonesian titles selected, alongside Anggy Umbara's 402 Rumah Sakit Angker Korea, Kevin Rahardjo and 

Rafki Hidayat's Legenda Kelam Malin Kundang (sMothered), Hanung Bramantyo's Lobang Buaya, Edwin's Monster Pabrik Rambut, and Park Kyung-kun's Nyepi.

At a glance:
 

• BIFAN 2026 runs 11 days, July 2–12, in Bucheon, South Korea
• 6 Indonesian films made the official selection this year
• Ghost in the Cell is Joko Anwar's 12th feature film
• The film runs 106 minutes and already premiered at the Berlinale in February 2026

What Is "Ghost in the Cell" About?
The film follows inmates at Labuan Angsana, described in the story as one of Indonesia's worst prisons, after a new arrival triggers a string of brutal, unexplained deaths. One prisoner develops the ability to see auras — and discovers that a murky or blood-red aura marks who the invisible killer targets next. The inmates' solution: dance classes and prayer sessions to calm themselves down before they turn into the next victim. It sounds absurd. It's supposed to.

The cast includes Abimana Aryasatya, Endy Arfian, Bront Palarae, Morgan Oey, Lukman Sardi, and Danang Suryonegoro. Anwar wrote the confinement setting as a double meaning, not just literal walls.

"One created by a system that punishes the vulnerable while shielding the corrupt."  Joko Anwar, director's statement

That line does a lot of work. Underneath the gore and the impromptu dance numbers, the film is aimed at corruption and prison conditions back home  dressed up as splatter comedy so it slides past the censors.

Why Does BIFAN Matter for Indonesian Cinema?

BIFAN isn't a red-carpet vanity festival it's a working market for genre film sales across Asia, Europe, and North America. A film that plays well here tends to get picked up for wider distribution. Ghost in the Cell had already premiered at the Berlinale's Forum section in February and was confirmed for release in 86 countries before its Bucheon screening, spanning 13 Asian markets plus Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Spain, and Portugal.

Six Indonesian selections in one festival year is a lot. It's a signal that Indonesian genre cinema  horror specifically  has become an export category, not just a local box-office staple.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend BIFAN?
BIFAN ticketing for individual screenings typically runs at standard South Korean cinema pricing, with festival pass options for multi-film access; exact 2026 pricing is listed on BIFAN's official site closer to each screening date.