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| Asian Cinema Fund | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asian Cinema Fund |
| Formation | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Busan |
| Parent organization | Busan International Film Festival |
| Region served | Asia |
| Purpose | Film funding and support for Asian filmmakers |
Asian Cinema Fund
The Asian Cinema Fund provides financial and technical support for film production, post-production, distribution and documentary projects across Asia, operating alongside the Busan International Film Festival in Busan since 2006. It aims to nurture emerging auteurs and strengthen exhibition circuits by linking projects to festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and regional markets like Hong Kong International Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival. The Fund interacts with institutions including Korean Film Council, Asian Film Archives, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Southeast Asian Film Lab, and broadcasters such as NHK, Arirang TV, and CCTV.
Established in 2006 as a initiative associated with the Busan International Film Festival, the Fund emerged amid renewed interest in continental cinema after landmark works by directors like Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Wong Kar-wai, Bong Joon-ho, and Tsai Ming-liang. Early years featured collaborations with organizations such as Asian Cinema Fund (note: do not link), Korean Film Council, Asian Film Academy, Hong Kong Film Development Council, and funders including Korean Film Producers Association and private patrons linked to CJ Entertainment and Showbox. Milestones include expansion of programs paralleling initiatives like Asian Film Market, Cinemart Rotterdam, and mentorship models exemplified by Cannes Cinéfondation and Locarno Open Doors.
The Fund is structured into discrete schemes modeled after sector-specific initiatives like World Cinema Fund, Film London, and National Film Development Corporation of India. Core programs commonly listed are Development, Post-Production, Distribution/Exhibition, and Documentary Support, each partnering with entities such as KOFIC, Busan Film Commission, Jeonju International Film Festival, Asian Network of Documentary (AND) and platforms like Netflix acquisition desks and theatrical circuits represented by Golden Harvest. Other programmatic activities include co-production matching similar to Asian Cinema Fund co-production market models and training aligned with Asian Film Academy residencies and labs like Ties That Bind and Asian Project Market.
Applicants typically include directors, producers, and production companies registered in Asian territories including South Korea, Japan, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Mongolia. Submission requirements reference completed scripts, budgets, production schedules and festival track records analogous to documents requested by Rotterdam CineMart, Asian Project Market, Locarno Festival's Open Doors, and Berlin Co-Production Market. Selection is made by juries composed of curators, programmers and producers drawn from networks like TIFF Cinematheque, CNC, FIPRESCI, NETPAC and representatives from film funds such as Sundance Institute and Fondation Gan. Deadlines align with programming cycles of Busan International Film Festival and partner markets such as Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF).
The Fund has supported projects that went on to screen at major events like Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winners, Berlin Golden Bear winners, Venice Golden Lion winners and Toronto People's Choice Award contenders, amplifying careers of directors connected to festivals including Locarno, SXSW, Sundance Film Festival and Karlovy Vary. Notable beneficiaries include filmmakers with trajectories similar to Lav Diaz, Rithy Panh, Nadia Latif (as an illustrative regional example), Lee Chang-dong, and producers associated with companies like Fortissimo Films and Arrow Films. Distribution support has enabled theatrical runs through distributors such as Well Go USA Entertainment and festival tours covering Busan, Kathmandu International Film Festival, Asian Film Archive screenings and retrospectives at institutions like Hong Kong Film Archive.
Governance includes a steering committee with representatives from Busan International Film Festival, Korean Film Council, cultural ministries of participating states, and advisors from international institutions like European Film Academy, Asia-Europe Foundation, UNESCO Bangkok and private foundations such as Korea Foundation. Strategic partnerships extend to film schools and labs including Korean Academy of Film Arts, Beijing Film Academy, Film and Television Institute of India, La Fémis exchange programs, and commercial partners including CJ ENM, Toho Company and streaming platforms like iQIYI and YouTube Movies.
Critiques mirror tensions seen in global cultural funding: allegations of geopolitical bias favoring projects from wealthier territories like South Korea and Japan over less-funded regions such as Myanmar and Laos; debates over festival gatekeeping exemplified by controversies at Cannes and Venice; concerns about the influence of corporate partners like CJ ENM and Toho on programming; and disputes over transparency similar to issues raised within Korean Film Council and other national film funds. Activists and filmmakers associated with collectives linked to Documentary Filmmakers Alliance and Asian Network for Free Expression have called for clearer disclosure of selection criteria and independent audits.
Category:Film funding organizations