Asian Film Academy call for applications

The 8th Asian Film Academy (AFA) workshop has made its call for applications with an April 30 deadline. The 18-day education program includes mentorships and funding opportunities for graduates. AFA is co-hosted by and the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Dongseo University and the Busan Film Commission (BFC).

 

Established in 2005 with a focus on discovering new potential for Asian cinema, AFA has graduated 171 students from 25 countries. Well-known directors such as HOU Hsiao Hsien, Im Kwon-taek, Mohsen MAKHMALBAF, Abbas KIAROSTAMI, KUROSAWA Kiyoshi, and Krzysztof ZANUSSI have served as faculty, leading film production workshops and providing one-on-one mentoring.

 

Funding for script development from BIFF's Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), as well as scholarships from Dongseo University are available for program graduates to provide continued support to the budding filmmakers.

 

This year, overseas Koreans will also be eligible to apply. AFA expects this to expand the diversity of experience and participant backgrounds.

 

The AFA traditionally starts prior to the Busan festival and runs parallel. This year's edition will be held Sept. 27 – Oct. 14. BIFF this year will run Oct. 4 – 13, with the Asian Film Market and Asian Project Market running Oct. 8 – 11.

 

For more information on the application process, visit the AFA website at http://afa.biff.kr. The AFA coordinator can take also further questions (Tel:+82 (0) 517092130 / Fax:+82 (0) 5160080822 / E-mail: afa@biff.kr).

 

The final participants will be decided upon July 6.

 

Previous AFA graduates include Edwin from Indonesia, whose "Postcard From the Zoo" was in this year's Berlinale Competition and whose "Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly" was in BIFF's New Currents Competition in 2008 and the Rotterdam film festival's Tiger Competition in 2009.

 

Other AFA alumni include Wichanon SOMUMJARN from Thailand, whose "In April the Following Year, There Was a Fire" was in Rotterdam's Tiger Competition this year; BOO Jun Feng from Singapore, whose Sandcastle screen in the Cannes film festival's Critics' Week and BIFF's A Window on Asian Cinema; Sheron DAYOC from the Philippines, whose "Ways of the Sea" was in BIFF's New Currents and the Berlinale Forum; Sanjeewa PUSHPAKUMARA from Sri Lanka, whose "Flying Fish" was in Rotterdam's Tiger Competition last year; and Chris CHONG Chan Fui from Malaysia, whose "Karaoke" was in Cannes Directors' Fortnight and BIFF's A Window on Asian Cinema.