Greetings

The ASEAN-ROK cooperation project, managed by the Busan Film Commission since 2011, marks its 11th year this year. Following a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the project resumed last year and has regained its momentum.

The Busan Film Commission, which has been striving towards the common goal of realizing a 'ASEAN-ROK Film Community' through mutual growth of the ASEAN film industry, has endeavored to nurture outstanding film talents that will lay the foundation for the development of Korean and ASEAN films, and has been making efforts to enhance international co-productions and global market competitiveness through solidarity in ASEAN-ROK film culture solidarity. This project, which has been approved annually as a one-year project, has been recognized for its achievements and expanded into a multi-year program. Currently, the Busan Film Commission is carrying out the '2022-2025 Korea-ASEAN Film Community Program', which spans three-years.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the ‘ASEAN-ROK Film Leaders Incubator: FLY,’ held in Laos. FLY is a short filmmaking workshop and mentoring program that travels through the 10 ASEAN nations and Korea, discovering young film talents in Asia, strengthening the filmmaking workforce to enable diverse film productions within the region, and building a network for international co-productions. Since its inception in the Philippines in 2012, it has been successfully held in Thailand(2013), Myanmar(2014), Malaysia(2015), Cambodia(2016), Indonesia(2017), Singapore(2018), Brunei(2019), and Vietnam(2023), graduating a total of 200 participants to date. This year, the program will complete its tour of the 10 ASEAN countries, culminating in a grand finale in Busan, Republic of Korea next year.

The collaborative project with the KF ASEAN Culture House, which began last year, is also highly significant. Opened in 2017 in Haeundae, Busan, the KF ASEAN Culture House serves as a cultural platform connecting Korea and ASEAN, introducing various exhibitions, performances, screenings, etc., to showcase the history, society, and culture of ASEAN. The Busan Film Commission joins this effort by producing exhibition films to enhance the special exhibitions and by screening short and feature films created by FLY graduates, supporting their ongoing creative activities.

With the expansion of the content industry, there is an increasing demand in the market to discover new filmmaking talents. We hope that the journey of the ASEAN-ROK Film Community Programme, which brings together filmmakers from Korea and ASEAN, can serve as a stepping stone for young filmmakers from Korea and ASEAN who eager to enter the global content market.

Lastly, we would like to express our deep gratitude to the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, the ASEAN-ROK Programme Management Team, the ASEAN Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and the Busan Metropolitan City for their continuous support on this long journey.

KANG Sungkyu

Director, Busan Film Commission