The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the official market of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held its first integrated ACFM Awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 13, at Event Room A in Exhibition Center 2 of BEXCO, Busan, announcing this year's award winners and support allocations.

ACFM introduced the integrated ACFM Awards framework this year to comprehensively highlight the market's business achievements and outstanding projects. Across a total of 17 categories spanning the Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), Busan Story Market (BSM), InnoAsia, DocSquare, and the Asian Project Market (APM), the awards provide approximately 480 million won worth of cash prizes, production and post-production support, and invitations to international industry events.

ACFM Managing Director Kim Young-deok said, "Today's awards ceremony is a place to illuminate the potential shown by these projects and the stories that will emerge into the world in the future." He added, "The ACFM Awards do not end in Busan. They will continue to Jakarta, Manila, Oslo, and Bangkok." He continued, "I hope that the conversations shared and the partners met here will serve as a starting point for tomorrow even for those whose names were not called today, and I look forward to meeting the award winners again in Busan with completed films and works."

Awards were also presented that day for three international co-production projects involving South Korea that were announced in August as recipients of the ACF Co-Production Support Fund. Director Koji Fukada's 'Grateful' received 60 million won, while director Jakrawal Nilthamrong's 'Rhizome' and director Boo Junfeng's 'Trinity' were each granted 40 million won, bringing the total support to 140 million won.

For the BSM JAFF IP Connection Award, Clayhouse's 'The Couple Upstairs' and Ryung Studio's 'Friend Request' were selected. Both projects are officially invited to the JAFF IP Connection at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival in Indonesia.

InnoAsia selected startups that will lead change in the film and video content industry. Taiwan's IMCore won the InnoAsia MPS Award, which selects the most promising startup based on votes from on-site industry professionals.

Lumicraft and Reproduction were chosen for the AWS Award. The AWS Award provides AWS cloud vouchers worth 10 million won to support startups with technology validation and subsequent commercialization. Lumicraft presented 'CastLink,' an AI casting platform connecting talent discovery with contract execution and settlements, while Reproduction showcased 'Pre-flow,' which assists in script analysis and production data sharing.

The DocSquare Documentary WIP Showcase announced the recipients of the newly established Impact Asia Award and Newstapa Award.

The Impact Asia Award went to three titles: 'The Moon is Watching You' directed by Ma Chi-hang, 'Parang' directed by Jang Min-kyeong, and 'Restless Farewell' co-directed by Yang Nan and He Feiyun. Each project receives 5,000 US dollars. The jury comprehensively assessed the works' artistic merit, potential to drive social and political change, and concrete impact strategies.

'The Moon is Watching You' was highly commended for the creative team's dedication in sustaining the project over a long period while taking personal risks, its poetic structure, strong community support, and its proposal of new distribution pathways for documentary creators at risk and audiences living in exile. 'Parang' was recognized for its community-centered approach to social issues that are easily misunderstood, its blend of personal, experimental, and participatory filmmaking methods, and its potential to foster social change through intimate collaboration with its subjects. 'Restless Farewell' was acclaimed for its humorous yet intimate lens on contemporary labor and migration issues, as well as its distribution viability across Asian and international circuits.

'Restless Farewell' was also selected for the Newstapa Award. The project will receive 10 million won in production funding and the opportunity to air a 60-minute cut through Newstapa Foundation channels upon completion. Exploring the lives of young migrant precarious workers in Shanghai, China's economic hub, the work earned strong praise for its timely themes, sincere approach born of deep rapport with its characters, and insight into contemporary Chinese society.

This year's APM received a record-breaking 604 submissions from 48 countries, with 30 projects from 17 countries taking part as official selections. Among them, eight projects won honors across a total of 11 categories. In particular, 'Goldfish'—which had been officially invited to APM to hold business meetings as part of its selection for this year's ACF Script Development Fund (feature independent fiction film incubating fund)—achieved the remarkable feat of winning three awards at this ceremony.

The QCinema Special Award went to director Aditya Ahmad's debut feature project 'Goldfish'. Set in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, where the director grew up, the film follows a boy fleeing from his father and was praised for its promise as an emerging director's feature debut. The Sørfond Award went to director Tribeny Rai's 'A Chronicle of Minor Things' (working title).

The Kongchak Studio Award also went to 'Goldfish'. The project stood out for its deep emotional sensibility and delicate directing that connects human feelings to elements of nature. The Kantana Picture Award was awarded to director Kim Jin-young's 'Red Hunger,' recognized for its strong narrative and visual potential. The Kantana Virtual Production Award went to director Panu Aree's 'Fatimah,' which weaves together dual identities, long-buried family secrets, and a journey that is both geographical and internal.

The CathayPlay Award went to director Yen Hao-hsuan's 'Uncle,' which draws on the director's personal experiences to examine family, shame, and belonging in rapidly evolving Taiwanese society. It was highly praised for depicting a character with an intellectual disability as a complete human being with desires, contradictions, and dignity.

Director Park Syeyoung's 'Satellite of Love' won the Songwon Award for its original storyline, distinct visual proposition, and its ability to embed complex emotional contexts surrounding love within a simple narrative. Director E del Mundo's 'Once Upon a Time in the Philippines' took home the ArteKino International Award for its original critique of structural violence and its illumination of an individual's capacity to resist it.

The VIPO Award also went to 'Goldfish'. It was commended for its fresh story exploring personal identity within shifting environments and its viable production prospects grounded in close collaboration between the director and producer.

Director Reza Rahadian's 'Casparina' received the CJ ENM Award for expanding the filmmaker's deeply personal story into a family drama with universal emotional resonance. The APM Busan Award was awarded to 'A Chronicle of Minor Things' (working title). It was lauded for its distinctive narrative structure, original story, and restrained directing style that integrates social issues, with the project's unique landscapes and themes seen as having strong appeal for global audiences. With this, 'A Chronicle of Minor Things' (working title) secured two awards.

This year, ACFM brought together the achievements of each program—project development, production support, original IP sales, emerging technology validation, and the social impact of documentaries—under a unified industry ecosystem. At APM, 133 companies engaged in 746 business meetings, while BSM saw 136 companies participate in 520 business meetings. ACF supported a total of 15 projects across its four funds.

InnoAsia saw the participation of 45 companies, drawing a cumulative 1,180 attendees across special short film screenings and 11 sessions. Meanwhile, DocSquare attracted a cumulative 906 participants across 10 sessions and three special screenings. At the InnoAsia Startup Awards, three companies were recognized across two categories, and Cinema By Brand unveiled its first three selected projects.

The 2026 Asian Contents & Film Market, held from Saturday, October 10 to Tuesday, October 13, concluded its four-day official schedule with a closing reception held at 8:00 PM on Tuesday.

 

(SBS Entertainment News | Reporter Kim Ji-hye)