Asian Cinema Fund

Overview

The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) is a grant program operated by the Asian Contents and Film Market (ACFM), the official industry platform of the Busan International Film Festival. ACF provides funding across three tracks: the Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund, the Post-Production Fund, and the Script Development Fund. A fourth track, the Co-Production Support Fund, was added in 2026 as part of a program reorganization.

The 2026 edition received 798 submissions across all tracks: 495 for Script Development, 16 for Post-Production, and 287 for the AND Fund. A total of 12 projects were selected. The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs October 6 to 15, 2026, with the ACFM running October 10 to 13 at BEXCO in Busan.

What It Funds

Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund

Supports feature-length independent documentary projects from Asia intended for theatrical release. Projects may be at any stage: development, pre-production, production, or post-production.

• Grant amount: Up to KRW 20,000,000 (approximately USD 13,000) per project
• Selection volume: Around 7 projects selected annually
• Additional benefit: Selected projects may participate in the Documentary WIP Showcase (part of ACFM's Doc Square program) if the project is over 60 minutes in length
• 2026 selection results: Announced via email in mid-June 2026; funding provided after the 31st BIFF

Script Development Fund

Supports Asian independent filmmakers developing scripts for their first or second feature-length fiction film. Two eligibility categories exist: Asian projects (writer-director must be of Asian nationality) and AFA/BAFA projects (writer-director must be an alumnus/alumna of Busan's Asian Film Academy or CHANEL x BIFF Asian Film Academy). Korean projects are not eligible for this track.

• Grant amount: KRW 10,000,000 (approximately USD 6,500) per project
• Selection volume: 3 projects selected annually
• Additional benefit: Selected projects are invited to the Asian Project Market (APM) as official selections, where representatives meet potential co-producers, investors, and industry professionals
• Obligations: Recipient must sign a Fund Agreement, attend APM, submit a working draft and completed script, and include ACF/BIFF/ACFM logos in the completed film's credits and promotional materials

Post-Production Fund

Supports Korean independent feature projects that have completed principal photography and editing. This track is restricted to Korean projects as of the 2026 reorganization.

• Grant amount: KRW 3,000,000 (approximately USD 1,940) per project for additional post-production expenses, plus in-kind support
• In-kind support: Professional digital intermediate (DI) color grading, sound mixing, English subtitle spotting, and DCP production provided by Korean post-production companies
• Selection volume: 2 projects selected annually
• Additional benefit: Selected films premiere at the Busan International Film Festival

Co-Production Support Fund (New in 2026)

A new track announced as part of the 2026 ACF reorganization. The 2026 call for submissions had a deadline of June 30, 2026. Details on grant amounts and eligibility are available on the ACF website.

Eligibility

AND Fund: Projects must be from Asia. Projects may be at any production stage. The fund supports feature-length independent documentaries intended for theatrical release.

Script Development Fund: Writer-director must be of Asian nationality (or an AFA/BAFA alumnus/alumna). Korean projects are not eligible. The fund is for first or second feature fiction films only.

Post-Production Fund: Restricted to Korean independent feature projects that have completed principal photography and editing.

Co-Production Support Fund: Consult the ACF guidelines for specific eligibility requirements.

All tracks require submission of project materials including a treatment, script, or work-in-progress footage depending on the stage. Each track has a separate annual deadline.

Application Timeline (2026 Cycle)

• ACF 2026 Call for Submissions: Announced March 26, 2026
• Co-Production Support Fund deadline: June 30, 2026
• AND Fund selection results: Mid-June 2026 via email
• Script Development Fund selection results: May 2026 via email
• Funding disbursement: After the 31st Busan International Film Festival (October 2026)
• ACFM dates: October 10 to 13, 2026 at BEXCO, Busan
• BIFF dates: October 6 to 15, 2026

2026 Selected Projects

The 12 selected projects for 2026 include works from India (Payal Sethi), Iran (Mehnoush Alia), Indonesia (Aditya Ahmad), and South Korea (Shin Dongmin), among others. The full list is available on the ACF website and was covered by Screen Daily.

Who Should Apply

Asian documentary filmmakers at any production stage should target the AND Fund. Korean independent filmmakers who have completed principal photography and editing should target the Post-Production Fund. Asian (non-Korean) narrative filmmakers developing first or second feature scripts should apply to the Script Development Fund. Filmmakers interested in Asian co-productions should consult the Co-Production Support Fund guidelines.

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. For estimating the cost of DCP creation and delivery, use the DCP Size Estimator.