From new approaches to filmmaking using AI technology to the social impact of documentaries and international collaboration in co-production and distribution, ACFM continued to explore a wide range of possibilities for the content industry.

The InnoAsia WIP Showcase presented the first previews of 11 AI-driven feature films, series, and animations currently in production worldwide. The lineup included director Kang Yunsung’s Gulf of Aden, Climax Studio CEO Byun Seungmin’s The Elements and Monsterblood (working title), and Paradoxes, an AI hybrid series that world-premiered at CANNESERIES 2026. The creators introduced the concepts and world-building behind their projects and shared their AI production pipelines and solutions. A strong turnout of film and content industry professionals demonstrated the industry’s high level of interest in AI filmmaking.

IMPACT ASIA IMPACT DAY examined the relationship between Korean documentaries and social movements, the use of Taiwan’s Small Talk as a form of social practice, and Japan’s independent exhibition and distribution ecosystem. At Impact Japan - Festivals, Theaters, Audiences: A Case Study of What Should We Have Done?, distributors and exhibitors shared their experiences of connecting films with audiences. Japanese distributor Tofoo Films explained how its strategy of focusing on theatrical screenings rather than streaming platforms, supported by word of mouth through social media and podcasts, contributed to the film’s box-office success. A representative from Polepole Higashi-nakano, an independent cinema operating without government subsidies, compared the theater to a bakery or greengrocer and said the prospect of having no films to introduce was more frightening than audiences not coming. The remark highlighted the importance of continually discovering and screening good films.

EFM × ACFM: Connecting Berlin and Busan introduced the vision and key programs of the European Film Market (EFM) and explored opportunities for collaboration between Asia and Europe across co-production, documentary, series, and IP. Connecting Asia & Ibero-America: Unlocking Market Opportunities in Co-Production and Distribution examined Latin America’s co-production frameworks, distribution channels, and market gateways while discussing ways to expand cross-continental content exchange and business opportunities.

Other programs included AFiS Project Pitching, Rising Stories: Taiwan Feature Film Pitch, Discover Japan: Filming, Incentives & Co-Production Opportunities, and New Routes for the Screen Industry: Building and Strengthening Brazil–Korea Connections. Participants also continued to explore new opportunities for collaboration at networking events including the Kling AI Networking Reception: From Production Needs to Industry Partnerships Across Asia co-hosted by Kling AI.

At Cinema by Brand, INNOCEAN Global CEO/CCO Kim Jung A, Hanwha Communications Committee Senior Executive Vice President Park Jeeyoung, and ACFM Director Ellen Y. D. Kim discussed a new collaboration model connecting brands with filmmakers and the potential of branded content. The participants emphasized the importance of respecting filmmakers’ creative autonomy and creating work that stands on its own as cinema, with artistic merit and value beyond advertising.

The session also announced the three final selections for Cinema by Brand 2026, developed around the theme of ‘Space Solar Power’ in partinership with Hanwha Group, the initiative’s first brand partner. Director Hong Eui-jeong’s Moon Noeul was selected for its emotional depth and distinctive vision of space. Director Lee Jin Ho’s The New Mission stood out for its fully AI-based production, an unexpected connection in space, and its potential for expansion. Director Edmund Yeo’s SOLAR POET approaches space solar power from a poetic and artistic perspective.

“I am deeply grateful and happy to have the opportunity to bring one of the many stories I have long dreamed of telling to life,” said Director Hong Eui-jeong. Director Lee Jin Ho said, “I am grateful for this opportunity to create works that combine new forms of storytelling and technology.” Director Edmund Yeo added, “I am grateful for the encouragement to preserve the project’s cinematic qualities, and I am excited for the opportunity to work in a new way.” The three projects are scheduled to enter production with the aim of being released in 2027.

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