Busan's Asian cinema fund names 12 projects for 2026
Busan's Asian Cinema Fund has named 12 projects as its 2026 recipients after reviewing 798 total submissions across script development, post-production, and documentary funding streams at the Busan International Film Festival's industry market, with winners spanning seven countries and five international co-productions. The picks give independent Asian filmmakers cash grants, post-production support, and festival-market access ahead of BIFF and ACFM this October.
Key Takeaways
- Twelve projects were selected from 798 total ACF submissions: three script-development films, two Korean post-production features, and seven documentaries.
- Script picks receive KRW10 million (about $6,480) each and slots in the 2026 Asian Project Market; post-production films premiere at BIFF with in-kind finishing support.
- Seven AND Fund documentaries can receive up to KRW20 million (about $12,965) each and will connect with buyers through Doc Square at ACFM.
- Selections represent seven producing countries, with five structured as international co-productions.
- BIFF runs Oct. 6–15, 2026; the Asian Contents & Film Market follows Oct. 10–13.
What is Busan's Asian Cinema Fund?
The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) is a film production support program operated through the Busan International Film Festival's industry market, known as the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM). It backs independent Asian cinema at different production stages, from early script work through documentary production and Korean feature finishing.
Selected projects also gain access to buyers, producers, and festival audiences. For more industry updates like this, follow our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
Which projects won script development funding?
The Script Development Fund drew 495 submissions and chose three features. Payal Sethi's Babak, a Germany-India co-production, follows an Afghan refugee in Germany. Mehrnoush Alia's Bon Voyage, an Iran-U.S. co-production, centers on parents confronting grief after losing a daughter.
Aditya Ahmad's Goldfish is set against Sulawesi traditions in Indonesia, following a 13-year-old boy navigating his relationship with his father. Ahmad is a 2014 graduate of BIFF's Asian Film Academy. Each winner receives KRW10 million and a place in APM 2026 business meetings with producers and investors.
Which films received post-production support?
The Post-Production Fund received 16 applications and selected two Korean independent features that have finished shooting and editing. Shin Dongmin's Not for You centers on a person bereaved by suicide. Kim Miyoung's Some Detective follows an aspiring crime novelist whose real-world encounters force an internal reckoning.
Both films receive in-kind support from Korean post houses covering color grading, sound mixing, English subtitle spotting, and DCP production, plus a KRW3 million cash grant. Both are scheduled for world premieres at this year's Busan festival.
Which documentaries made the AND Fund lineup?
The Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund received 287 submissions and selected seven projects, with grants of up to KRW20 million each. Asian Project picks include Liu Shubo's Floating House (China), about a diaspora community's search for belonging; Alyx Ayn Arumpac's Tongues of Fire (Philippines), on a society divided over historical accountability; and We Are Volcanoes, co-directed by Sharon Yeung and Natalie Chao (U.K./Norway), about women pursuing justice.
Korean Project selections include Emmanuel Moonchil Park's The Alleyway, on tensions around mosque construction; Jang Minkyung's Our Waves, focused on families affected by mental illness; Jude Hwirin Kang's Pellong Pellong: The Untold Glitter of That Day, revisiting Jeju 4·3 memory; and Jung Sueun's When Words Return, examining forced mobilization and war histories. Korean filmmakers across these selections use archival footage, 8mm film, animation, and reenactment.
When will these projects reach audiences?
AND Fund projects will meet international industry professionals through Doc Square and ACFM's Documentary WIP Showcase. Script Development winners enter APM 2026, while Post-Production Fund films screen at BIFF. The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs Oct. 6–15, with ACFM set for Oct. 10–13.