Busan: Every movie is still a fight, says Lionsgate exec
“Every movie is still a fight.” That was the warning from Lionsgate’s president of international Helen Lee-Kim to filmmakers hoping to take Asian stories to the world.
Lee-Kim was speaking in Busan at the Asian Contents & Film Market, the industry market attached to the Busan International Film Festival where rights are bought and sold, according to Variety. She said language is less of an obstacle than it once was. Viewing habits formed during the pandemic exposed audiences to films in many languages.
The session was titled “UTA × Gold House: Hollywood & The Asian Diaspora” and was moderated by Variety Asia editor Naman Ramachandran. It brought together executives from Lionsgate, talent agency UTA, Gold House Studios, Hybe America Studios and East West Bank to discuss how Asian stories can reach wider audiences without losing cultural identity.
Lee-Kim pointed to “Karoshi,” starring Teo Yoo and directed by Takashi Doscher, as an example of bringing Asian talent into Hollywood filmmaking. UTA’s David Park pointed further back. He cited “Parasite” and “Squid Game” as breakthroughs that opened new routes for Asian filmmakers.
Park also spoke about “Hope,” the Korean project from director Na Hong-jin. He described it as ambitious and original, with global genre appeal and Asian actors in leading roles alongside international stars, according to Variety.
The panel included Gold House Studios president Christine Yi and Hybe America Studios president James Shin. The financing view came from Bennett Pozil, executive vice president of East West Bank, whose credits include financing “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Pozil kept his advice short. “Don’t force anything. It has to be authentic,” he said of cross-border storytelling.
The discussion was one of 64 programmes across seven categories unveiled for ACFM 2026, which lists the Hollywood and Asian diaspora session in its official line-up, according to BIFF.
For fans, this means more Asian-led projects may enter the Hollywood pipeline. The message from Busan was simple. The appetite is there. The fight to get each film made remains.
