Busan Fund Awards $100K to 3 Asian Co-Productions
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- Asian Cinema Fund selected Fukada Koji, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, and Boo Junfeng for its 2026 Co-Production Support Fund, awarding a combined KRW140 million ($100,000) to films spanning 13 countries from 15 submissions.
- Fukada Koji's "Grateful" received the largest grant at KRW60 million ($42,900) as a Korea-Japan co-production with Korea holding majority status; the ACF cited the Korean production team's track record as the deciding factor.
- Jakrawal Nilthamrong's "Rhizome" received KRW40 million ($28,600) as a Thailand-led production with Korea, France, Laos, and Singapore as minority partners, centered on wartime history shared across Asia.
- Boo Junfeng's "Trinity" received KRW40 million ($28,600) and carries the broadest country footprint—Taiwan, France, and Singapore as majority partners, joined by eight minority partner countries including Korea, Japan, and Indonesia.
- The Co-Production Support Fund total rose to KRW140 million ($100,000) from KRW65 million ($46,400) in 2025, and its minimum guaranteed recipient count grew from one to at least two projects, marking a threefold jump in selections.
- ACFM director Ellen Y.D. Kim framed the grants as modest finishing support for projects already far along in financing, expressing hope the funding will "put the final piece of the puzzle in place" for each film.
Why it matters: The fund more than doubled year-over-year (KRW65M to KRW140M) and expanded its guaranteed minimum from one to at least two recipients, signaling Busan's institutional push to formalize Asian co-production pipelines. With producers across 13 countries gaining distribution access through BIFF and ACFM programs, these modest grants now serve as institutional leverage for larger cross-border deals.
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