PRESS SERVICE

The 2025 Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) has launched a new initiative, the ‘Co-Production Support Fund’, to support international co-production film projects with Korea. Submissions officially opened on July 1.

From Script Development to Production,

Expanding the Scope of ACF Support

Through the Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), ACFM has long provided support across various stages of film production, including script development, documentary production, and post-production. This year, ACFM has broadened its reach with the launch of the Co-Production Support Fund, offering direct financial assistance to one selected project in the final pre-production phase, addressing pressing financial challenges in the Korean and Asian cinema production environment.

Eligible projects should be feature-length films or animations intended for theatrical release, produced under a co-production agreement between Korea and Asia countries, and have secured a minimum of 60% of their total production budget. The selected project will receive USD 50,000 or KRW 65 million, subject to certain conditions, and is obligated to have its premiere at BIFF 2026.

Building a Pragmatic Production Environment

Solidifying ACFM’s Role as a Key Industry Platform

The ACF Co-Production Support Fund is sponsored by Hylife Group, a young, dynamic company based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Having grown through real estate, asset management, food manufacturing, and more, Hylife is now preparing to launch an international culture festival that fuses film, food, and music, grounding its interest in Asia’s cultural industries, including K-cinema. The fund will mark a cornerstone in the group’s entry into the entertainment industry.

“With Hylife’s generous contribution, ACFM will play a pivotal role in enhancing collaboration across Asia and helping cooperative production projects reach global audiences,” said Ellen Y. D. Kim, the Asian Contents & Film Market director, during the ‘Spotlight on Asia’ session at the Cannes Film Festival last May. Starting with this initiative, ACFM aims to expand the cooperative ecosystem based on private partnerships and further reinforce the production support framework to ensure that Asian films are produced on sustainable and practical foundations.

The 2025 ACF Co-Production Support Fund registration opens from July 1 (Tue) to August 14 (Thu). Detailed information is available on the official ACF website (https://acf.biff.kr/eng/).

■ The 30th Busan International Film Festival: Sep 17 (Wed) – Sep 26 (Fri)

■ The 20th Asian Contents & Film Market: Sep 20 (Sat) – Sep 23 (Tue)