Netflix brings Creative Asia back to Busan with workshops and AI debate
Netflix will bring Creative Asia back to the Busan International Film Festival for a third consecutive year, with new writing workshops and a debate on artificial intelligence leading the 2026 edition, according to Variety.
The one-day programme is set for Oct. 10 at Dongseo University's Centum Campus. It brings masterclasses and industry panels together in one place for emerging talent and working professionals.
Creative Asia is Netflix's scheme to help new creators across Asia develop ideas for the screen. This year's lineup was shaped with the festival, known as BIFF, alongside the Asian Film Commissions Network and the Motion Picture Association, or MPA.
Workshops join the schedule for the first time. They give aspiring writers direct time with Netflix content executives. That is new.
Christopher Mack, Netflix director of content acquisition, leads "The Art and Archetypes of Cinematic Storytelling." Keo Lee, Netflix director of creative strategy, leads "Understanding the Buyer's Perspective," a session on how projects are greenlit, the formal go-ahead to move into production, and financed. A buyer here means the company that decides to pay for and release a film or series.
The technology thread centres on "AI in Filmmaking: New Tools, New Possibilities," co-hosted by Netflix and the MPA. The panel looks at how artificial intelligence tools are being adopted by filmmakers in APAC, the Asia-Pacific region.
Film critic Youn Sung-eun moderates the discussion. The speakers are Sung Q Lee, Netflix senior director of APAC production, Kimball Thurston, chief technology officer at Weta FX, and director Kang Yun-sung. Weta FX is the visual effects studio co-founded by Peter Jackson.
The craft sessions turn to light and place. Cinematographer Kim Ji-yong, the person in charge of camera and lighting, will give a masterclass on the visual world of "Possible Love" with director Lee Chang-dong.
"Possible Love," a relationship drama from Lee that marks his return as a director, according to Netflix Tudum, arrives in Busan as a Venice winner playing at the festival. Kim will discuss swapping built lighting rigs for natural light on the film. It is a practical choice with a visible result on screen.
The masterclass strand opens with "Location and Storytelling," moderated by Busan Asian Film School professor James Bang. That session asks how a filming location shapes plot and character.
The day also includes an invite-only Creative Economy Exchange for industry contacts, as part of a one-day slate of masterclasses and panels described by Deadline.
For anyone new to festivals, this means access. Panels explain decisions. Workshops test ideas. A masterclass breaks down one job in detail, from lens choice to working with a director.
