Asian Cinema Fund
A multi-track support program by the Busan International Film Festival funding Asian documentary, post-production, and script development projects.
Overview
The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) is a grant program administered by the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), one of the most important film festivals in Asia. Since its founding, ACF has been an essential partner for Asian cinema, providing support across three funding tracks: the Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund, the Post-Production Fund, and the Script Development Fund. Together these tracks address the full range of stages at which Asian independent filmmakers most need financial support.
ACF operates with a clear regional mandate: to strengthen independent filmmaking across Asia by investing in projects that cannot easily access the larger commercial production infrastructure of major studios or broadcasters. Its grants carry genuine prestige within the Asian film industry and provide a pathway into the international festival circuit.
What It Funds
Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund supports documentary projects from Asia at the development and production stages. Grants of up to 20 million Korean won (approximately USD 15,000) are awarded to documentary projects with strong creative ambition and international potential.
Post-Production Fund supports Asian feature films -- fiction and documentary -- in the post-production phase. Eligible projects must have at least 60% of their total production budget already confirmed at the time of application. The fund provides cash grants and official invitations for a project representative to attend the Busan International Film Festival.
Script Development Fund provides grants to Asian independent filmmakers developing scripts for their first or second feature-length fiction film. This track is separate from the documentary and post-production streams and is specifically for narrative development.
Eligibility
Projects must be from Asia. Eligibility definitions vary slightly by track -- filmmakers should consult the current ACF guidelines for country-specific eligibility requirements. All three tracks are competitive and require submission of project materials including a treatment or work-in-progress footage depending on the stage.
The Post-Production Fund specifically requires that at least 60% of the production budget be confirmed before applying, meaning it is designed for projects well into the financing and production process rather than early-stage projects.
Who Should Apply
Asian documentary filmmakers at the development stage should target the AND Fund. Asian fiction and documentary filmmakers in post-production with most of their budget confirmed should target the Post-Production Fund. Asian narrative filmmakers developing first or second feature scripts should apply to the Script Development Fund. Applications for each track run on separate annual deadlines.
See Also
For documentary filmmakers building an international financing strategy across Asia and Europe, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For post-production planning and storage cost estimates, use the Storage and Footage Calculator.
