Busan’s ACFM Focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Co-Production and Broadcasting

Under the direction of new chef Ellen YD Kim, Busan International Film Festival‘s industry platform, Asian Content and Movie Market (ACFM), in addition to increasing its activities related to new technologies affecting the content sector, also encourages international co-production.

The market will host a day-long conference (October 6) exploring the integration of artificial intelligence into content production, with speakers from companies such as Stability AI, Microsoft, iQiyi and Naver Webtoon. A conference focused on streaming on October 7 will include sessions analyzing the business strategies of Asia’s regional OTT platforms and the evolving nature of OTT storytelling.

“These sessions will focus on how platforms in Japan, Taiwan and Southeast Asia have developed unique survival strategies in the intense global competitive environment,” Kim said. “We will also explore how the rise of OTT platforms is transforming approaches to storytelling, particularly in series and short-form content, through specific case studies.”

BIFF has long confronted the reality that physical film markets are becoming less important for trading completed films as sales activity shifts to online and year-round meetings and global deals with broadcasters become the norm on a territory-by-region basis. rights deals During the pandemic, ACFM has wisely positioned itself as a platform to explore Asian Intellectual Property, including manga, books and games, through the Busan Story Market, which expanded this year to include French Intellectual Property.

While ACFM has previously been overshadowed by Hong Kong’s Filmart, which had a pre-Cannes showcase in March, the market has continued its post-pandemic rally while increasing political pressures have also made Hong Kong a less attractive place to visit.

ACFM organizers will not comment on regional policies, but the market has confirmed that registration numbers for this year’s edition are higher than last year, with strong interest coming from most Asian regions. “We are also witnessing increased interest from North American and European markets, especially France and Italy,” says Kim. “Saudi Arabia will also have a wider presence this year, reflecting broader global interest in the event.”

ACFM is also launching a new initiative called Producers Hub (October 5-7) to strengthen the network among producers seeking international co-production and financing opportunities. Each year, Producers Hub plans to select a Focus Country, starting with its home base of South Korea, showcasing co-production projects, producers and industry trends in that country.

Korea has traditionally not been an active co-producer, tending to manage finance and international distribution within its own borders, but co-production is becoming a growing trend in Asia, with many national film commissions launching co-production funds. Examining how Korea can adapt to this evolving ecosystem. “The goal is to promote partnerships that enable international co-productions and explore new financing models that meet the evolving demands of the global market,” Kim said, adding that producers from 18 countries, 47 of which were from Korea, participated in the event.

Despite the innovations, ACFM remains a traditional rights trading platform attracting a growing number of Asian and European sales representatives, some of whom question their continued involvement in Filmart. While Chinese buyers are starting to return to Filmart and are less likely to attend ACFM due to China’s soft ban on Korean films, European sales representatives say they still meet plenty of Asian buyers in Busan.

“We thought Busan was the most important market for us in Asia in terms of the types of films we represent in our group – high-quality films from emerging directors,” says Benjamin Colle, managing director of Pluto Film in Germany. Jiang Xiaoxuan Killing a Mongolian Horse I’m playing at BIFF this year. “Since we are not participating in AFM, the annual international tour is very convenient for us.”

Yuan Rothbauer, co-managing director of Picture Tree International in Germany, will attend AFM but admits that ACFM’s timing was effective. “We need a strong market to meet Asian buyers after Cannes and before the end of the year, and Busan fits this perfectly. We are introducing a few games in Busan that will be officially announced at AFM, so we will be doing an unofficial introduction to Asian buyers, especially those who are not coming to AFM,” says Rothbauer.

European Film Promotion is bringing 28 sales representatives to this year’s ACFM, which will host national pavilions from Italy, France, Spain and the UK, as well as a wide range of Asian pavilions from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.

Other attractions at ACFM include the highly regarded and long-running Asian Project Market. chose 30 projects this yearincluding several former New Currents filmmakers; Platform Busan, a networking initiative for independent filmmakers; and of course, numerous dinners, parties, and networking events scattered throughout the four days of the event.

ACFM will take place at the BEXCO convention center from October 5-8 during the Busan International Film Festival (October 2-11).