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| Asian Project Market (APM) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asian Project Market |
| Location | Busan, South Korea |
| Established | 1996 |
| Founders | Busan International Film Festival |
| Frequency | Annual |
Asian Project Market (APM) The Asian Project Market is an annual film project market held during the Busan International Film Festival in Busan, South Korea. It brings together producers, directors, screenwriters, financiers, sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers from across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. The market has served as a launchpad for projects that later premiered at festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival.
The market operates as a development and financing forum linked to the Busan International Film Festival and the Busan Cinema Center, providing a platform for encounters among representatives from institutions including the Asian Cinema Fund, Korean Film Council, Film Independent, European Film Market, Independent Film Channel, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Participants include companies such as CJ Entertainment, Showbox, Toho Co., Ltd., Wild Bunch, Fortissimo Films, and Magnolia Pictures, as well as festivals like Berlin International Film Festival, San Sebastián International Film Festival, and Locarno Festival. The APM connects projects to funding bodies like the Asian Film Archive, Bangkok Film Foundation, Taipei Film Festival, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, and international co-production markets such as Hong Kong Filmart and Festival de Cannes Marché du Film.
APM was launched by the Busan International Film Festival in the mid-1990s amid a regional push to internationalize Asian cinema, alongside initiatives from organizations like the Asian Film Commission Network and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Early participants included filmmakers from Japan, China, India, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia and companies such as Shochiku and Shaw Brothers Studio. Over time, APM fostered collaborations with funding programs like the Asian Cinema Fund and institutions including the Korean Film Archive and the Japan Foundation. Its alumni network expanded to include directors and producers associated with entities like CJ ENM, GMM Grammy, Studio Ghibli, Rithy Panh, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and representatives from the National Film Development Corporation of India.
APM is administratively managed by the Busan International Film Festival secretariat in partnership with municipal authorities in Busan and national agencies such as the Korean Film Council. Governance features advisory input from international programmers and producers linked to organizations like the European Audiovisual Observatory, Asia-Pacific Screen Academy, Southeast Asian Production Network, and the Asia-Europe Foundation. Programming is divided into sections overseen by curators with ties to festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and the Sundance Film Festival. Operational partners frequently include Korean Film Producers Association, Asia Film Fund, and corporate sponsors such as Hyundai Motor Company and Samsung subsidiaries.
Projects are selected through a competitive submission process adjudicated by panels composed of producers and programmers from institutions like the Harvard Film Archive, British Film Institute, MUBI, TIFF Industry Office, and the International Documentary Association. Eligible submissions typically include feature-length fiction and documentary projects from countries across Asia, with priority given to works connected to producers or directors who have engaged with markets such as Ibermedia, CNC, NHK, and national film funds like Film Development Council of the Philippines. The application requires dossiers comparable to those used at the EAVE Producers Workshop and the TorinoFilmLab, with selection criteria informed by co-production potential, creative track record, and market viability as assessed by entities like FIPRESCI jurors and festival programmers.
APM hosts project pitching sessions, one-on-one meetings, co-production consultations, and networking events modeled after activities at the European Film Market and the Marché du Film. Ancillary events include masterclasses with guests from Oscars-nominated teams, panels featuring representatives from Netflix, Amazon Studios, HBO Asia, and sessions on distribution strategies by sales agents from Fortune Films-type companies and independent distributors like Drafthouse Films. The market also organizes co-production meetings with national film commissions such as the Korean Film Commission, Hong Kong Film Development Council, Singapore Film Commission, and investment forums attended by representatives from broadcasters like NHK, TV Asahi, KBS, and streaming platforms including iQIYI and WeTV.
Projects that advanced at the market later screened or won awards at festivals including Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, and Locarno Festival. Alumni include filmmakers who worked with production companies like CJ ENM and Toho, auteurs associated with South Korean New Wave cinema, and producers connected to the Philippine New Wave and New Burmese Cinema. Noteworthy titles and creators tied to the market have collaborated with distributors such as The Match Factory and Neon and institutions like the Asian Film Awards Academy.
APM has contributed to the globalization of Asian cinema by facilitating co-productions between entities such as European Film Market participants and Asian producers, enabling projects to secure financing from national funds like the Korean Film Council and broadcasters including NHK. The market's role in connecting projects to festivals, sales agents, and distributors has influenced programming at events like Telluride Film Festival, SXSW, and BFI London Film Festival, while supporting industry networks across Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation members and cultural institutions such as the Japan Foundation and Goethe-Institut. Its cumulative effect is evident in increased visibility for Asian auteurs within the international festival circuit and expanded partnerships among production companies, broadcasters, and streaming services.
Category:Film festivals in South Korea Category:Film markets