Generative AI, Microdramas to Take Center Stage at Busan Market

The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the Busan International Film Festival‘s (BIFF) official market, has finalized its 2026 lineup.

InnoAsia, drawing 44 organizations and companies into 11 programs, leads with a deep push into generative AI and emerging media formats. ACFM has teamed with Kling AI for “New Cinematic Possibilities: Reimagining Filmmaking with Kling AI,” paired with a dedicated networking reception for the AI firm. Additional sessions include “Making What’s Next: Generative AI and the Future of Filmmaking at Eyeline,” “InnoAsia Cinematic AI,” “InnoAsia AI Creators Camp” and “InnoAsia Next Foundation.”

Two further sessions, “InnoAsia The Evolution of Microdrama: China & Beyond” and “Rags 2 Richmond: From Viral Microdrama to Feature Film, and the Future of Trans-Media IP,” zero in on microdrama’s rise. The “InnoAsia WIP Showcase” rounds up 11 in-progress works, among them projects from director Kang Yunsung and Climax Studio, and “Cinema by Brand” spotlights three brand-and-film collaborations chosen through an open call.

Seven sections make up the wider lineup – The A, Asian Project Market (APM), Busan Story Market (Bsm), InnoAsia, Producer Hub, Doc Square and Platform Busan – spread across eight venues over the four-day run.

Thailand takes on the newly created role of Country of Honor, bringing five genre features to “BSM Pitch & Match – Thai Remake IP,” a strand within BSM’s freshly launched Remake IP category. A companion initiative, “Thailand: The Next Chapter,” aims to link Thai talent with investors and audiences beyond the region.

Japan holds this edition’s Focus Country designation under Producer Hub, where 10 Japanese producers will pitch their projects in “Focusing on Japan: Pitch Showcase of 10 Selected Producers,” organized alongside Vipo. That kicks off a broader 12-program Producer Hub slate touching on how streaming and short-form platforms are reshaping the business, with producers spanning Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan and beyond comparing notes, a Brazil-Korea co-production model on the agenda, and a first-time “Morning Networking” session added to the schedule.

The A section turns its focus to distribution and capital. “The A Summit: AFAN Spotlight – The Dynamic Shifts and Shake-up for Film Distribution in Asia” gathers regional distribution figures to weigh how the business is changing, while “The A Summit: Investor Summit & Connect” digs into co-production trends and where film financing is headed.

Doc Square’s 10-program docket centers on Oct. 12’s “Impact Asia Impact Day,” built around the social reach of Asian documentaries, with sessions on Korea, Taiwan and Japan drawing on case studies such as the Taiwanese film “Small Talk” and the Japanese film “What Should We Have Done?”

Platform Busan opens each of the four mornings with “Platform Busan Pitch & Meet” and rounds out its slate with “Film Festivals & Markets 101,” “Becoming Punk: An International Co-production Case Study of ‘Ria’” featuring producer Christine de Leon, “An Introduction to TorinoFilmLab,” “EFM × ACFM: Connecting Berlin and Busan,” “Connecting Asia & Ibero-America: Unlocking Market Opportunities in Co-Production and Distribution” and “Uta × Gold House: Hollywood & The Asian Diaspora.” The market’s programming also includes the ACFM Awards Ceremony, spanning multiple award categories.

ACFM’s most recent edition, its 20th in 2025, pulled in 1,222 companies and 3,024 professionals from 55 countries for what became its biggest turnout yet, with on-site attendance hitting 30,006. Deals struck through its sales market totaled 8,438 business meetings and an estimated $71.1 million in transactions.

The 21st ACFM runs Oct. 10-13 within the wider 31st Busan International Film Festival, which spans Oct. 6-15.