Busan Awards Co-Pro Support To Koji Fukada, Jakrawal Nilthamrong & Boo Junfeng

Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), operated by Busan film festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), has selected projects from Koji Fukada, Jakrawal Nilthamrong and Boo Junfeng for this year’s Co-Production Support Fund.
 
All three projects – Fukada’s Grateful, Jakrawal’s Rhizome and Boo’s Trinity – are co-produced with Korean companies as either a majority co-producer or minority co-producer. Combined they’ve been awarded production funding of $100,000 (KRW140m).
 
The Co-Production Support Fund received 15 submissions this year, selecting three projects following a first-round review of submitted materials and second-round interviews
 
Launched in 2025 to promote international co-productions with Korea, the Co-Production Support Fund provides substantial production funding to feature-length fiction films and theatrical animations. Eligible projects must be produced under an international co-production agreement with Korea and have secured financing for at least 60% of their net production budgets.
 
This year, the minimum number of projects to receive support increased from one to at least two, while total funding rose from $45,000 (KRW65m) to $100,000 (KRW140m). Each project may receive up to $50,000 (KRW70m). See more details of the three projects and how much they were awarded below.
 
Grateful is a Korea-Japan co-production, which tells a Korean story and has Korea as the majority co-production country. ACFM said that confidence in the Korean production team’s capabilities underpinned its selection.
 
Rhizome is a co-production with Thailand as the majority co-production country and Korea, France, Laos and Singapore as minority co-production countries. It addresses Asia’s shared historical experience of war and was recognised for its potential “to capture the voices and vision of Asia, grounded in the deep trust and affection shared by its production team”.
 
Trinity is a co-production with Taiwan, France, Singapore and eight countries, including Korea, as minority co-production countries. It addresses a provocative theme rooted in religion, while its extensive international co-production framework drew attention during the selection process.
 
ACFM Director Ellen Y.D. Kim said: “It is encouraging to see support for co-productions expanding since the launch of the Co-Production Support Fund last year, including the resumption of the Korean Film Council’s international co-production support programme. The three projects have already made substantial progress in co-production and financing through collaboration with numerous international partners.
 
“Now that these projects are close to bearing fruit, I hope this support – modest though it may be – will help put the final piece of the puzzle in place and bring each film to successful completion.”
 
ACF also operates a Script Development Fund, Post-Production Fund and Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund (see here for the latest funding announcement). It also connects projects with various BIFF and ACFM programmes, expanding opportunities for distribution and industry access.

ACF 2026 CO-PRODUCTION SUPPORT FUND:

Grateful, Dir: Fukada Koji
Producers: Song Dae-Chan, Kameda Yuko
Majority Co-Pro Country: Korea
Minority Co-Pro Country: Japan
Grant Amount: KRW60m

Rhizome, dir: Jakrawal Nilthamrong
Producers: Chatchai Chaiyon, Samavee Pummuang, Kim Hyejin, Yohann Cornu, Mattie Do, Panuksmi Hardjowirogo
Majority Co-Pro Country: Thailand
Minority Co-Pro Countries: Korea, France, Laos, Singapore
Grant Amount: KRW40m

Trinity, dir: Boo Junfeng
Producers: Raymond Phathanavirangoon, Aileen Li, Sophie Erbs, Huang Junxiang, Boo Junfeng, Danny Yong, Takafumi Yuki, Mariusz Włodarski, Marta Gmosińska, Giorgos Karnavas, Danae Spathara, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, Eric Shih, Samuel Sagan, Mayra Faour Auad, Gabrielle Auad, Ilda Santiago, Yulia Evina Bhara, Oh Jungwan, Anita Tung, Bradley Liew, Bianca Balbuena, Stefano Centini
Majority Co-Pro Countries: Taiwan, France, Singapore
Minority Co-Pro Countries: Poland, Greece, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines
Grant Amount: KRW40m