Busan International Film Festival's Asian Cinema Fund Reveals 2025 Selections

The Busan International Film Festival's Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) has announced its official selections for the year 2025, showcasing a record 14 projects chosen from an unprecedented 850 submissions, marking a 23% increase from the previous year. The announcement was made during an event held in Busan, South Korea, as part of the festival's ongoing commitment to support filmmakers across Asia. The ACF provides crucial financial and institutional backing for projects in various stages, including script development, post-production, and documentary production. According to Lee Yong-kwan, the festival's director, this surge in submissions reflects the growing interest and talent within Asian cinema. 'These projects represent bold visions and critical perspectives that highlight the evolving voice of contemporary Asian filmmakers,' Lee stated.

The 2025 selections comprise three projects funded under the Script Development Fund, four under the Post-Production Fund, and seven through the Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund. Each selected project receives a grant of KRW10 million (approximately $7,300) and an opportunity to participate in the Asian Project Market (APM) 2025, facilitating networking with industry stakeholders.

The Script Development Fund's recipients include 'Black Star Angel' by Christine Haroutounian from Armenia, which tells the story of a woman coping with a life marked by war and trauma. Eve Baswel's 'Heaven Help Us!' revisits the tragic collapse of the Manila Film Center in the 1980s, emphasizing the individual narratives of victims. Li Yingtong's 'New Life' from China offers an intimate portrayal of a mother and daughter navigating loss and grief.

In the realm of post-production, four feature films were selected, with notable titles such as Jeong Seung-o's 'Coming of Age,' which delves into generational perspectives in Korean society, and Lim Junghwan's 'The Observer's Journal,' which combines humor and tension in a surreal setting.

The AND Fund chose seven documentaries, including four from Korea. Noteworthy projects include 'Our Complex' by Cho Hanna, which reflects on the transformation of Yeosu city, and 'Sea, Star, Woman' by Yim Jeunghae, a personal investigation into a mother's disappearance. Asian selections also include 'Kampuchea' by Neary Adeline Hay, addressing intergenerational trauma in Cambodia.

The 30th Busan International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from September 17 to 26, 2025, at the Busan Cinema Center, alongside the 20th Asian Contents & Film Market from September 20 to 23 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center. This year's festival promises to be a significant platform for showcasing the diversity and creativity inherent in Asian cinema, furthering the ACF's mission to amplify independent filmmakers on a global stage.