The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the official industry market of the Busan International Film Festival, has announced the 12 selected projects for the 2026 Asian Cinema Fund (ACF).

The ACF is a film production support program designed to discover promising Asian film projects and creators, providing practical assistance tailored to each stage of production. It supports scenario development for Asian feature-length independent fiction films in the planning and development stage, post-production for Korean feature-length independent fiction films that have finished shooting and editing, and production for Asian and Korean feature-length independent documentaries. Selected projects are also provided with opportunities to meet audiences and industry professionals through various platforms at the Busan International Film Festival and ACFM.

This year's selections stand out for their ability to expand personal narratives into broader social and ethical inquiries, exploring themes such as identity, migration, historical memory, family, care, conflict, and coexistence through distinct cinematic approaches.

A total of 798 submissions were received this year: 495 for the Incubating Fund, 16 for the Post-Production Support Fund, and 287 for the AND Fund. Following a rigorous selection process, 12 projects were chosen: 3 for the Incubating Fund, 2 for the Post-Production Support Fund, and 7 for the AND Fund. The selected projects represent seven major producing countries, with five being international co-productions.

The Feature-Length Independent Fiction Film Incubating Fund helps projects in the planning and development stage evolve into high-quality scripts. Each selected project receives 10 million KRW in scenario development funding. Additionally, they are invited as official projects to the 2026 Asian Project Market (APM) to conduct one-on-one business meetings with domestic and international film industry professionals.

This year's Asian projects include Payal Sethi's "Babak" and Mernoush Alia's "Safe Travels." The AFA / BAFA project selection is "Goldfish" by director Aditya Ahmad, a 2014 Asian Film Academy (AFA) fellow.

"Babak" explores issues of survival, identity, care, and responsibility through the life of an Afghan refugee living in Germany. "Safe Travels" examines mourning and responsibility toward others, centered on the choices of parents who lost their daughter in a tragic situation. "Goldfish" depicts the growth and identity of a 13-year-old boy seeking to get closer to his father, set against the backdrop of the culture and traditions of the Sulawesi region in Indonesia.

The three works were highly praised for rooting themselves in the specific realities of their respective regions while expanding into universal questions about migration, family, identity, loss, and survival.

The Feature-Length Independent Fiction Film Post-Production Support Fund is aimed at Korean independent fiction films that have completed shooting and are nearing final completion. Selected projects receive in-kind support through domestic professional post-production companies—including color grading (DI), sound mixing, English subtitle spotting, and the creation of Digital Cinema Packages (DCP) for theatrical screening—along with 3 million KRW in additional funding.

This year, "Not For You" by director Shin Dong-min and "A Certain Detective" by director Kim Mi-young were selected.

"Not For You" tells the story of those bereaved by suicide, noted for how its intimate world aligns perfectly with the film's form. "A Certain Detective" captures the process of a writer attempting to write a detective novel, only to face their own inner self through chance encounters outside the story.

Both films were recognized for developing their own unique cinematic forms rather than explaining personal experiences through conventional narrative methods. They will be completed through domestic professional post-production services and are scheduled to have their world premieres at this year's Busan International Film Festival.

The Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund provides production funding for feature-length independent documentary projects aiming for theatrical release. Each selected project receives up to 20 million KRW.

Representatives of the selected projects are invited to ACFM 2026 and, depending on the production status, are eligible to participate in the Doc Square program's Work-In-Progress (WIP) showcase, where they can introduce their works to industry professionals and seek further collaboration with producers, film festivals, and distributors.

The Asian projects selected are "Wandering House" by director Ryu Soo-bo, "Tongue of Fire" by director Alex Ein Arumpark, and "We Are Volcanoes" by directors Sharon Yeung and Natalie Chao.

These three works document the lives of diaspora communities struggling to find their place in the world, the rare confrontation with truth in a nation conflicted between denial and responsibility, and the experiences of women seeking justice. They were noted for observing the lives of their subjects closely over a long period and capturing voices that maintain dignity amidst pain and trauma.

The Korean projects selected are "The Mosque Next Door" by director Park Moon-chil, "Blue" by director Jang Min-kyung, "Pellong Pellong" by director Hwi-rin, and "The Time When Horses Return" by director Jung Soo-eun.

These four works deal with conflicts surrounding the construction of a mosque, the care of family members with mental disabilities, memories of the Jeju 4.3 Incident, and the history of forced mobilization and war. By utilizing diverse expressive methods such as animation, archival footage, reenactments, and 8mm film, they bring to the screen the stories of individuals and communities that have long been unseen or unheard.

The ACF operates a support structure that spans from project development to completion, release, and industry networking, depending on the production stage and nature of the work.

Incubating Fund selections meet co-producers and investors at the APM. Post-Production Support Fund selections are completed with technical support from domestic companies and unveiled at the Busan International Film Festival. AND Fund selections introduce their projects to industry professionals through Doc Square, the documentary industry program of ACFM, expanding opportunities for exchange.

The ACF plans to continue its phased support to discover new cinematic perspectives and promising creators in Asia, ensuring that projects are completed as films and reach both audiences and the film industry.

The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) is the official industry market of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held annually in Busan in October. The 20th edition in 2025 saw a record-breaking turnout, with 3,024 industry professionals from 1,222 companies across 55 countries, and a total of 30,006 visitors. During the event, a total of 8,438 sales market business meetings were held, with a transaction volume reaching approximately 71.16 million USD.

The 2026 Asian Contents & Film Market will be held from October 10 (Sat) to October 13 (Tue) at BEXCO Exhibition Center II in Busan.