The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is taking the lead in building an AI film ecosystem.
As AI film production and support have gained momentum this year, and efforts toward AI Transformation (AX) to advance the overall Korean film industry continue, BIFAN’s initiatives to ensure practical revenue generation for AI creators and drive the AX transition are bearing fruit. These efforts include expanding AI film award categories, hosting competitions, discovering works for paid platform distribution, implementing AI internship programs, and activating communities.
◆ Expansion of 'Bucheon Choice AI Film' International Competition… New 'TapNow New Wave Award' and 'AIMMOVIE Audience Award' Established
BIFAN is partnering with Tamar Edge Limited, a Hong Kong-based company that operates the global AI video platform 'TapNow' (CEO Klaus Heo), to establish the 'TapNow New Wave Award.' This award will be presented to one outstanding work that pioneers a new cinematic language among the selections in 'Bucheon Choice AI Film,' BIFAN's international competition section for AI films.
Tamar Edge will provide prize money and credits for the new award, while also supporting the Fantastic Film School: Univ program and networking events for AI creators. Furthermore, the two parties plan to collaborate on discovering creators through joint competitions and other initiatives to build an AI film ecosystem.
◆ Hosting Competitions for AI Film Industrialization: Short-form Film Screenplays and Distribution Support for Completed Works
BIFAN is hosting a year-round 'AI Short-form Film and Drama Screenplay Competition' in partnership with The Manta Story, a company that handles VFX post-production for film sets, including the movie 'Train to Busan' and the Netflix series 'Hellbound.'
The Manta Story will work with BIFAN to build a pipeline covering investment, production, and distribution so that promising talent and stories discovered through the competition can be produced as marketable short-form content. The company also plans to support creators by operating an internship program linked to the institution for outstanding talent trained at BIFAN's AI Video Education Center Bucheon.
Meanwhile, BIFAN is also launching an 'AI Film Distribution Support Competition' for completed AI films, which differs from existing screenplay and production contests. The festival plans to select and support excellent works from domestic and international AI film production studios to help them reach theaters.
Short and feature-length AI films selected through evaluations in the second half of this year, following the call for entries during the festival, are scheduled to be released in theaters such as CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox through the professional film distributor Studio The J. To this end, BIFAN plans to promote theatrical screenings in the second half of this year by carefully selecting international competition entries, non-competition works, creative support projects, and outstanding AI works from the AI Video Education Center Bucheon showcased at the 30th BIFAN.
◆ AI Video Paid Online Platform: Seeking Win-Win Programs for Creators
Studio Aim, which is developing a platform specializing in AI video content based on the latest technology, will support emerging domestic and international talent discovered through BIFAN to continue their creative activities within its platform ecosystem. Through this, the company aims to discover excellent works and build a win-win model where AI creators can earn fair revenue.
In addition, Bucheon-based Studio Aim is promoting an internship program to select graduates and outstanding talent from the local educational infrastructure, the AI Video Education Center Bucheon. Selected individuals will be provided with practical field experience and opportunities for growth.
Furthermore, the company will begin sponsoring the 'AIMMOVIE Audience Award,' which honors the work most loved by audiences among the 'Bucheon Choice AI Film' selections.
◆ Internship Program Operation: Expanding Opportunities for Startups, Employment, and Business
The internship program for graduates of the BIFAN AI Video Education Center Bucheon began in 2025 with Studio FreeWillution. This year, the AI studio internship program has been expanded to include partners such as The Manta Story and Studio Aim.
On June 23 (Tuesday), BIFAN held an agreement ceremony with local universities including Yuhan University. The festival plans to continue win-win cooperation for regional cultural and industrial development by operating specialized, field-oriented education courses to foster future creators equipped with both technical and directing skills, and by providing practical opportunities such as internships and employment for outstanding talent.
To expand showcases and business opportunities for AI creators, BIFAN plans to gradually increase the number of participating companies and individuals through the 'Bucheon AI Contents Summit,' as well as pitching events, demo days, and meetups for AI creator communities.
◆ Community Activation: Launch of 'Everyone's Planning Group' Spin-off
'Everyone's Planning Group' is a participatory community that experiments with new possibilities for BIFAN's AX projects, and it is open to any citizen interested in AI and AX.
AI film creators and AX planners from various industries gather to share AI-based video production, business planning, and technology trends. By collaborating and sharing new insights, as well as engaging in various collaborative activities such as vibe coding, they contribute to the creation of the BIFAN AX ecosystem based on data and artificial intelligence technology.
Shin Chul, Festival Director of BIFAN, stated, "Thanks to the support of top-tier domestic and international AI partners this year, we have established a foundation that covers all stages of AI film production (value chain), integrating projects that were previously conducted separately, such as talent cultivation, employment linkage, competitions, and distribution." He added, "Through this system that BIFAN has laid out, we will provide unwavering practical support so that AI creators can go beyond receiving one-time prize money and become independent directors or producers."
Regarding the screening held at the conclusion of the Fantastic Film School: Univ program, he remarked, "It was an amazing moment where it felt like AI film had reached a tipping point," while also pledging to focus on protecting the rights of creators.
The 30th BIFAN, which is highly anticipated due to the full-scale activation of the AI value chain, will be held in the Bucheon area from July 2 (Thursday) to July 12 (Sunday).
Reported by Kim Ji-hye (SBS Entertainment News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.