We present the projects that were selected to participate in the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Cinema Fund (ACF).

This year, a total of 774 projects were submitted to the various ACF support funds. An approximate 49% increase in total number from the previous year, each fund received a record-high number of submissions. This served as a confirmation of ACF’s status and value in Korean and Asian film industry.

Script Development Fund
The Script Development Fund, which funds projects from Asia that are in the planning and development stage, received a total of 398 submissions, an approximate increase of 130 projects from last year. Amongst the submissions, 3 projects that provide a screenplay with the greatest potential will receive a cash grant of 10 million KRW for script development and be invited to the 2023 Asian Project Market as an official project with the opportunity of business meetings with industry officials.

Selected Projects:
Chronicles of a Confession by Prattek Vats – India
To Kill a Mongolian Horse by Jiang Xiaoxuan – China
Where the Rivers Run South by Suraj Paudel – Nepal

Post-Production Fund
The Post-Production Fund selected two Korean and Asian projects each from the submission pool of 71 projects. The 4 projects, which will receive post-production funding, will make their world premieres at this year’s Busan International Film Festival.

Selected Projects:
Concerning My Daughter by Lee Mirang – Korea
Lay Off (Working Title) by Park Hongjun – Korea
Solids by the Seashore by Patiparn Boontarig – Thailand
The Spark by Rajesh S. Jala – India

Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund
The Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund, which supports feature length documentaries, will provide funding to 7 unprecedented projects.

Selected Projects:
Being a Politician for Dummies by LEE Ilha – Korea
K-Number by Jo Seyoung – Korea
Life in the Shadows by K.D. – Afghanistan, Germany
Plaster Cast Drawing by Won Taewoong – Korea
Returning Figures by Kim Mooyoung – Korea
A Thousand Winds by Mok Kwan Ling – Hong Kong, China
XiXi by Fan Wu – Taiwan, Korea, Philippines

We remind readers that the 28th Busan International Film Festival will be held for 10 days from Oct 4 (Wed) to Oct 13 (Fri) around Busan Cinema Center, and the 18th Asian Contents & Film Market for 4 days from Oct 7 (Sat) to Oct 10 (Tues) at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO).

More information: https://www.biff.kr/eng/

About the ACF:
Asian Cinema Fund is a representative support program of Busan International Film Festival that discovers projects by talented Asian filmmakers and provides systematic support from script development to post-production, enabling them to complete their projects.