Busan’s Asian Cinema Fund Names 12 Recipients for 2026
The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), the film production support program operated through the Busan International Film Festival‘s industry market, has named 12 projects as its 2026 recipients, selected from 798 total submissions across three funding streams.
The 12 selections – three for script development, two for post-production and seven for documentary production – represent seven countries, with five of the projects structured as international co-productions. The ACF, which operates under the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), supports projects at different stages of production, from early development through post-production finish.
The Script Development Fund, which drew 495 submissions, selected three projects: “Babak,” directed by Payal Sethi, a Germany-India co-production following an Afghan refugee in Germany; “Bon Voyage,” directed by Mehrnoush Alia, an Iran-U.S. co-production centered on parents confronting grief and responsibility after the loss of a daughter; and “Goldfish,” directed by Aditya Ahmad, set against the traditions of Sulawesi, Indonesia, in which a 13-year-old boy navigates his relationship with his father. Ahmad is a 2014 graduate of BIFF’s Asian Film Academy. Each selected project receives a cash grant of KRW10 million ($6,480) and a place in the Asian Project Market (APM) 2026, where they will meet with producers and investors.
The Post-Production Fund, which received 16 submissions, selected two Korean independent features that have completed filming and editing. “Not for You,” directed by Shin Dongmin, centers on a person bereaved by suicide. “Some Detective,” directed by Kim Miyoung, follows an aspiring crime novelist whose encounters outside of fiction force an internal reckoning. Both films will receive in-kind support from Korean post-production companies – covering color grading, sound mixing, English subtitle spotting and DCP production – as well as a KRW3 million ($1,945) cash grant. Both are scheduled to have their world premieres at this year’s Busan festival.
Seven projects were selected for the Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund, which received 287 submissions and offers up to KRW20 million ($12,965) per project. The Asian Project category includes “Floating House,” by Liu Shubo (China), about a diaspora community’s search for belonging; “Tongues of Fire,” by Alyx Ayn Arumpac (Philippines), examining a society divided over historical accountability; and “We Are Volcanoes,” co-directed by Sharon Yeung and Natalie Chao (U.K./Norway), which centers on women pursuing justice. The Korean Project category includes “The Alleyway,” by Emmanuel Moonchil Park, about tensions surrounding a mosque construction; “Our Waves,” by Jang Minkyung, focused on families affected by mental illness; “Pellong Pellong: The Untold Glitter of That Day,” by Jude Hwirin Kang, revisiting the memory of Jeju 4·3; and “When Words Return,” by Jung Sueun, examining histories of forced mobilization and war. Across the Korean documentary selections, the filmmakers employ archival footage, 8mm film, animation and reenactment.
AND Fund projects will be introduced to international industry professionals through Doc Square, ACFM’s documentary program, which includes a Documentary WIP Showcase for works in progress. Script Development Fund projects enter the APM 2026 business meeting program, and Post-Production Fund projects will screen at BIFF.
The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs Oct. 6–15, with the 21st Asian Contents & Film Market scheduled for Oct. 10–13. At ACFM’s 2025 edition, its largest to date, total on-site attendance reached 30,006 and the Sales Market recorded an estimated $71.1 million in transactions.