The Philippines’ participation in the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) in South Korea commenced on Oct. 8 at the Exhibition Center 2, BEXCO in Busan.

More than 50 countries and over 2,000 industry professionals came to the marketplace of varied media content from films to publications.

Busan, Asia’s first UNESCO-designated Creative City of Film, provided a venue where our local producers meet their international business partners, sell their film catalogs, or invest in co-production projects. 

In the ACFM final report, the exhibitors hosted 275 companies from 30 countries and drew 563 buyers from 383 companies.

Studio Viva on its first day on the market had buyers for their film catalog. Digital Dreams’ president and producer Danzen Katanyag had initial talks with Cinecittà for a Philippine-Italian co-production. Rein Entertainment launched their projects, the crime drama series Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence, Lino Cayetano’s Salvageland starring Richard Gomez and Elijah Canlas, and Shugo Praico’s Silent Night and Caretakers. Their upcoming films include Friday The 14th and Obosen. Other local film companies also landed deals in the ACFM.

In the Asian Project Market, Hum by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan and produced by Hannah Schierbeek and Alemberg Ang was the biggest winner, getting the Artekino International Award and Sorfond Award. The story follows Idyll, a young woman living in an abandoned rodeo stadium, who meets a mystic mountain guide. 

In 2022, Don’s short film, The Headhunter’s Daughter, won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and the Gold Hugo at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival.

The Busan Asian Film School (AFiS) also had an agreement ceremony with the Film Development Council of the Philippines to support Filipino scholars in their film producing program to foster global talents. Present were FDCP chairman and CEO Jose Javier Reyes and AFiS director Kang Sung Kyu. Producers Patti Lapus and Noah del Rosario participated in this year’s AFiS Project Pitching.

Educational institutions from the Taipei Film Festival, Jogja Film Academy, Temasek Polytechnic Singapore, Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), and the FDCP discussed “The Role and Impact of Film Schools for the Asian Film Industry” with Reyes stressing that audience development, filmmakers’ training, and film educator upgrading are crucial to the growth of the young filmmakers.

In any film market, the Film Philippines Office (FPO) through executive director Joierie Ann Pacumio, shared the country’s film incentive programs. The session also featured other funding organizations in Asia Ellen Y. D. Kim of the Asian Cinema Fund, Taiwanese Jennifer Huang of TAICCA, Emad Eskander of Red Sea Film Foundation, and Aditya Assarat of Purin Pictures. This was an eye-opener to help filmmakers maximize available support.

The first edition of the Producer Hub had the Philippine contingent composed of Catsi Catalan, Danzen Katanyag, Jane Gonzales, Rea Robles, John Bryan Diamante, and Xyz Dumabok participating with their Asian counterparts. It provided networking among producers who are into international co-productions and financing. Market trends from participating countries were also discussed.

Young filmmakers are the target market for Platform Busan where 28 countries were represented by 174 participants.

The Southeast Asian presence is very evident in terms of badge holders at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where the Philippines led by 150, followed by Indonesia 118, Thailand 106, and Singapore 91, among others.

The usual master directors Brillante Mendoza and Lav Diaz screened their respective films, Bansa (Motherland) and Phantosmia at the Lotte Cinema. Cinemalaya’s The Hearing by Law Fajardo was part of A Window of Asian Cinema. The Philippines’ strong co-production incentives saw Tale of the Land by Loeloe Hendra, Don’t Cry Butterfly by Duong Dieu Linh, and Viet and Nam by Truong Minh Quy and Xixi by Wu Fan on the Busan big screen. Not to be outdone are our Filipino short films, Abogbaybay by P.R. Monencillo Patindol and Three for 100: Or the Thrifting of Love and Various Other Things by Cedrick Labadia.

Indeed, as a business platform for industry professionals worldwide, Busan still stands out in the Asian region as the go-to place for networking and film festivals.