The Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) has announced the selection of three international co-productions as recipients of its 2026 Co-Production Support Fund. This year’s recipients include notable films from directors Fukada Koji, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, and Boo Junfeng, which will share a total of KRW140 million (approximately $100,000) in production funding.
Selected Projects and Funding Details
The chosen projects—“Grateful,” “Rhizome,” and “Trinity”—were selected from a competitive pool of 15 submissions through a rigorous two-round review process that included both materials assessment and interviews. This year marks a significant expansion from the single recipient last year, reflecting a broadening commitment to international collaboration in the film industry.
In-Depth Look at the Films
“Grateful,” directed by Fukada Koji, is a Korea-Japan co-production where Korea serves as the majority partner. The film receives KRW60 million ($42,900), the largest grant among the three projects. The decision to support this film was influenced by the established track record of the Korean production team involved.
Meanwhile, “Rhizome,” directed by Jakrawal Nilthamrong, presents a diverse co-production involving Thailand as the majority partner and minor roles from South Korea, France, Laos, and Singapore. This project, which focuses on the shared wartime histories across Asia, has been awarded KRW40 million ($28,600).
Lastly, Boo Junfeng’s “Trinity” features a complex collaboration with Taiwan, France, and Singapore as majority partners, alongside contributions from eight additional countries including Poland, Greece, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines. This film, which addresses themes rooted in religion, also received KRW40 million ($28,600).
Support for Cross-Border Productions
Established in 2025, the Co-Production Support Fund aims to stimulate cross-border film productions involving Korea. It is dedicated to long-form narrative features and animated theatrical releases that meet specific funding criteria, including securing at least 60% of their net production costs. Notably, the total funding this year increased to KRW140 million from KRW65 million in 2025, and the minimum recipient count rose from one project to at least two.
Statements from ACFM Director
Ellen Y.D. Kim, director of the ACFM, expressed enthusiasm about the increased support for co-productions since the fund’s inception. She noted, “It is encouraging to see support for co-productions expanding since the launch of the Co-Production Support Fund last year, including the resumption of the Korean Film Council’s international co-production support program.” She emphasized the substantial progress these projects have made in co-production and financing through international partnerships, and expressed hope that the funding provided will help complete each film successfully.
Additional ACF Initiatives
In addition to the Co-Production Support Fund, the ACF offers a Script Development Fund, a Post-Production Fund, and an Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund. These initiatives aim to connect funded projects to distribution opportunities and industry access through the BIFF and the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) programs.
Upcoming Events
The 2026 ACFM is scheduled to take place from October 10-13 at Exhibition Center 2, BEXCO in Busan, in conjunction with the 31st Busan International Film Festival, which will run from October 6-15.
