Busan Film Fest’s Asian Cinema Fund Selects 14 Projects From Record-Breaking Submissions

The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), the flagship funding arm of the Busan International Film Festival, has unveiled its 14 official selections for 2025 following a record-breaking submission period that saw applications surge 23% to 850 projects.

The fund, which operates under the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), provides financial and institutional support to filmmakers from Korea and across Asia throughout script development, post-production and documentary phases. ACF-backed projects have consistently gained traction at major international film festivals, cementing the initiative’s role in amplifying Asian independent cinema globally.

Following an extensive review process evaluating creative potential and project maturity, the fund awarded three projects to its Script Development Fund, four to the Post-Production Fund, and seven to the Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund. The selections showcase what organizers describe as “bold visions and critical perspectives that showcase the evolving voice of contemporary Asian cinema.”

The Script Development Fund, drawing from 478 submissions in its most competitive round to date, selected three projects that examine protagonists confronting and resisting their realities. Christine Haroutounian’s “Black Star Angel” (Armenia) follows a woman’s struggle to escape a life defined by war, violence and trauma. Eve Baswel’s “Heaven Help Us!” (Philippines) revisits the tragic Manila Film Center collapse of the 1980s, focusing on individual narratives rather than treating victims as statistics. Li Yingtong’s “New Life” (China) offers an intimate portrait of a mother and daughter supporting each other after the death of their husband and father.

Each project receives a KRW10 million ($7,300) grant plus an invitation to the Asian Project Market (APM) 2025, providing access to industry stakeholders through business meetings and networking opportunities. Li Yingtong is a graduate of the 2024 Chanel X BIFF Asia Film Academy.

From 75 submissions, the Post-Production Fund selected four feature films scheduled for world premieres at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in September. Korean selections include Jeong Seung-o’s “Coming of Age,” which captures diverse perspectives across generations and social classes, and Lim Junghwan’s “The Observer’s Journal,” blending tension and humor in surreal circumstances.

International picks feature Sanju Surendran’s “If on a Winter’s Night” (India), offering layered views of Indian society through multiple couples’ interwoven stories, and Chen Jianhang’s “The River that Holds Our Hands” (Hong Kong/China/Vietnam), following a man’s journey reflecting on Chinese ethnic minority diaspora.

The AND Fund selected seven feature-length documentaries recognized for inventive form and compelling approaches. Four Korean projects explore society, space and memory through unique lenses: Cho Hanna’s “Our Complex” reflects on Yeosu’s transformation through Expo, industrial and tourism developments; Yim Jeunghae’s “Sea, Star, Woman” (Korea/France) presents a personal investigation into a mother’s disappearance; Yang Dayeon’s “Sprouted Potato Lives on” revisits a demolished Seoul hillside neighborhood; and Kwon Sunhyeon’s “Weathering Architect” examines memory and temporality in Seoul’s changing landscape through veteran architect Joh Sung-yong’s philosophy.

Asian selections include Neary Adeline Hay’s “Kampuchea” (Cambodia/France), examining intergenerational trauma from violence; Armin Septiexan’s “Oma” (Indonesia/Philippines/France/Netherlands), presenting a survivor confronting the past; and Min Min Hein’s untitled Myanmar project. These documentaries will be featured in AND Talk & Share sessions at the Asian Contents & Film Market.

The 30th Busan International Film Festival runs Sept. 17-26 around Busan Cinema Center, with the 20th Asian Contents & Film Market taking place Sept. 20-23 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center.