Asian Cinema Fund 2012 seeks to help indie filmmakers

Independent filmmakers who are having difficulty getting their projects off the ground may seek help from the Busan International Film Festival's Asian Cinema Fund (ACF).

 

From script completion to production, post-production and distribution, the ACF provides diverse funding programs which will enable young filmmakers to complete their projects.

 

“Now entering its fifth year, ACF hopes to create a renewed solidarity within Asian cinema, and that this new perspective will empower the fund to continue to be a springboard for young talented filmmakers across the region, and to foster and develop creativity with more diverse and original platforms,” says ACF Director Hong Hyosook in the BIFF official website.

 

Launched in 2007, the ACF has three funding categories: the Script Development Fund, the Post-Production Fund and the Asian Network of Documentary Fund. Projects which are selected under the Script Development Fund will be awarded 10 million Korean won (approximately $10,000) each, while those under the Post-production Fund will be completed at state-of-the-art facilities in Korea. DI, sound mixing, and producing negatives and prints are covered by this fund.

 

Meanwhile, the AND Fund aims to encourage Asian documentary filmmakers, awarding 10 million Korean won (approximately $10,000) or 5 million Korean won (approximately $5,000) each to selected projects.

 

A number of ACF projects have been successful in prestigious film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival. Among these projects is Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi's "5 Broken Cameras," which won the Public Broadcaster IDFA Audience Award, the Special Jury Award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2011, and the World Cinema Directing Award at Sundance 2012. “5 Broken Cameras” was completed in 2010 with help from the AND fund.

 

Completed with help from the Script Development Project, Rommel Tolentino's "NoNo" was invited to the Generation Kplus section of the Berlin Film Festival 2012. Lee Gwangkuk's "Romance Joe" was screened at the Official Competition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2012 after its post-production under the ACF. Another AND project, Davy Chou's "Golden Slumbers" was recently incited to the forum section of the Berlin Film Festival 2012.

 

The ACF 2012 is now accepting submissions until April 20 for the Post-Production Fund and May 10 for the Script Development Fund and Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund. 

 

Interested applicants can submit their entries through the ACF website. Additional materials including the director's previous work in DVD Format and a rough-cut of the project should be sent to the Seoul Office of Busan International Film Festival. 

 

Additional information can be found at the ACF website.

 

For inquiries, contact the Asian Cinema Fund Coordinator at tel. 82-2-3675-5097 or via e-mail: ACF@biff.kr (for features), AND@biff.kr (for documentary films). ACF holds office at 5th floor, Seven Bldg., 13-21 Namsan-dong 3-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-043, Korea. –Carmela G. Lapeña/KG, GMA News