Busan market finalises 2026 line-up around AI video and microdramas
Busan's film market is putting generative AI and microdramas at the centre of this year's deal-making.
The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the official market of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), has finalised its 2026 line-up, according to Variety. The market runs Oct. 10-13, 2026, inside the 31st festival, which spans Oct. 6-15.
The market runs four days. Its 2026 edition spans seven sections: The A, Asian Project Market, Busan Story Market, InnoAsia, Producer Hub, Doc Square and Platform Busan, according to Variety. In plain terms, that covers sales of finished films, pitches for new projects, story rights for remakes, technology, co-production meetings, documentaries and a platform for emerging professionals.
InnoAsia is the technology strand. It comprises 11 programmes involving 44 organisations and companies, according to Variety. The focus is generative AI, software that creates video, images and sound from text prompts, and how producers might test it, pay for it and use it on live productions.
ACFM has teamed with Kling AI, a video-generation company, for the session "New Cinematic Possibilities: Reimagining Filmmaking with Kling AI", plus a dedicated networking reception, according to Variety. The InnoAsia slate also includes "Making What's Next: Generative AI and the Future of Filmmaking at Eyeline" and "InnoAsia Cinematic AI". Earlier ACFM notices named AWS and Google DeepMind among InnoAsia participants, while Deadline reported that Alibaba had joined the programme.
Microdramas get their own spotlight. The two sessions are "InnoAsia The Evolution of Microdrama: China & Beyond" and "Rags 2 Richmond: From Viral Microdrama to Feature Film, and the Future of Trans-Media IP", according to Variety. Microdramas are very short, often vertical episodes made to be watched on phones, usually in one- or two-minute bursts.
Country showcases shape the co-production business. Thailand is the Country of Honor, bringing five genre features to "BSM Pitch & Match – Thai Remake IP", where producers can buy local remake rights, according to Variety. Japan is the Focus Country under Producer Hub, with 10 Japanese producers pitching in "Focusing on Japan: Pitch Showcase of 10 Selected Producers".
Last year's scale explains why sellers clear the calendar. The 20th ACFM in 2025 drew 1,222 companies and 3,024 professionals from 55 countries, with on-site attendance of 30,006, according to Variety. Its sales market produced 8,438 business meetings and an estimated $71.1 million in transactions.
What makes this stand out is the mix on one floor. For buyers, this means remake rights, documentary work-in-progress, project pitches and hands-on sessions with AI tools sit side by side during the four-day market.
