Japan Pitch to Bring Four New Features to Busan Festival
Four Japanese filmmakers will pitch new feature films to overseas buyers and producers at the 31st Busan International Film Festival.
The showcase, called Japan Pitch, is staged by Atmovie Inc. and draws its lineup from the company's Atmovie Global Track accelerator, a training and support scheme for creators, according to Variety. Pitching means presenting an unfinished film to potential financiers and partners in search of money and support.
Sessions will take place on Oct. 11 at Centum Hotel Emerald Hall. One-on-one meetings, a second round of pitches and a networking reception will follow on Oct. 12 at the same venue.
Global Track is backed by the Japan Creator Support Fund through the Japan Arts Council. It was set up to help Japanese film creators secure international co-production deals, where partners from different countries share costs and rights.
The lineup mixes experience and debuts. Kinoshita Yusuke is pitching 'Children of the Empire'. His short 'Birdcage' was runner-up for the grand prize and audience award at the 2003 Pia Film Festival, and his feature 'Water Flower' played the Berlin Film Festival in 2006.
'Children of the Empire' was selected for the VIPO Film Lab NY Script Workshop. Kinoshita founded the company Spectra Inc. earlier in 2026.
Saito Shiori is developing her first feature documentary, 'Omusubi'. She co-founded the production company Mimosa LLC in 2021.
Joya Yoshimi is pitching her feature debut, 'Almost Goodbye'. Her short 'Colors Under the Streetlights' was an official selection in the short film competition at the Vancouver Film Festival.
Arai Soji is presenting 'Their Own Sake'. He previously brought the project to the 2026 Cannes Film Festival as part of Atmovie Global Track. He produced the Japan-Korea co-produced short 'Route 7', which won the audience award from the Busan International Short Film Festival.
Atmovie Inc. is based in Shibuya, Tokyo, and is led by CEO Moriya Takeshi. The Global Track programme debuted at the Cannes Film Market earlier in 2026 with five filmmakers, according to Variety.
Japan Pitch arrives in a busy year for Japanese producers in Busan. Japan has been named the 2026 Focus Country for the festival's Producer Hub, with 10 Japanese producers due to visit for project pitching and speed meetings, according to festival organisers BIFF Press. The focus will also spotlight Japan's production environment and co-production case studies, according to Screen Daily.
What makes this stand out for audiences is timing. Market pitches happen years before cameras roll. Deals struck in hotel meeting rooms decide what gets made.
