Busan’s Asian Cinema Fund Names 12 Recipients for 2026
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- The Asian Cinema Fund named 12 projects as 2026 recipients, selected from 798 total submissions across three streams — script development, post-production, and documentary
- Script Development Fund picked three projects including Mehrnoush Alia's "Bon Voyage" (Iran-U.S. co-production on parental grief) and Payal Sethi's "Babak" (Germany-India, following an Afghan refugee in Germany); each receives KRW10 million ($6,480) and a slot in Asian Project Market 2026
- Post-Production Fund selected two Korean features — Shin Dongmin's "Not for You" (about suicide bereavement) and Kim Miyoung's "Some Detective" (about an aspiring crime novelist) — which will receive in-kind post-production support, KRW3 million ($1,945) cash grants, and world-premiere slots at this year's Busan festival
- Asian Network of Documentary Fund chose seven projects from China, Philippines, UK/Norway, and Korea, each eligible for up to KRW20 million ($12,965); Korean selections tackle Jeju 4·3 memory, mosque construction tensions, and histories of forced mobilization
- Five of the 12 selected projects are structured as international co-productions spanning seven countries
- The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs Oct. 6–15 with ACFM scheduled Oct. 10–13; last year's market drew 30,006 on-site attendees and recorded an estimated $71.1 million in Sales Market transactions
Why it matters: Twelve independent film projects from seven countries will receive cash grants up to KRW20 million plus direct entry into BIFF's Asian Project Market and Doc Square, where last year's sales transactions totaled $71.1 million — a critical pipeline for emerging Asian filmmakers seeking international co-production financing.
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