Creative Asia Brings 400 Emerging Filmmakers to Busan for BIFF 2026
Netflix and BIFF hosted the third Creative Asia in Busan, where over 400 emerging filmmakers joined masterclasses and panels on craft, locations and AI.
The story in focus
Netflix and the Busan International Film Festival held the third Creative Asia in Busan, drawing more than 400 emerging filmmakers. Masterclasses and panels covered cinematography, location scouting, AI in production and small- and mid-budget films, with sessions led by filmmakers including Kim Ji-yong, Han Jun-hee and Kang Yun-sung.
- More than 400 emerging filmmakers attended the third Creative Asia, presented by Netflix with BIFF.
- Netflix said its APAC skills and talent initiatives have reached over 18,000 people, working with more than 350 production companies.
- Director Kang Yun-sung said AI cut overall costs on The Gulf of Aden by 30-40% by streamlining shooting, not by replacing VFX.
Masterclasses on craft and locations
Cinematographer Kim Ji-yong walked through choices behind Possible Love, including natural light, mainly single-camera shooting and a summer house designed around sunlight. AFCNet hosted a locations masterclass. Reiko Kunieda, co-producer of Perfect Days, described how Wim Wenders found locations by imagining the protagonist's everyday life, while Netflix's Sung Q Lee said a good location need not be beautiful or famous but should feel irreplaceable to the story. For the first time, Creative Asia also moved some learning into smaller classroom-style sessions with Netflix content leads Keo Lee and Christopher Mack, covering greenlight decisions and what keeps a pilot compelling.
AI and industry panels
In an AI panel co-hosted with the Motion Pictures Association, director Kang Yun-sung said AI revived ideas shelved for budget reasons on Run to the West and later cut overall costs by 30-40% on The Gulf of Aden by streamlining shooting and shortening production. Kimball Thurston, CTO of Wētā FX, cited time as a major gain from handling repetitive work. Both drew a line at emotion; Kang doubted AI could best convey it, and Thurston called the human touch critical. A separate panel with director Namkoong Sun addressed limited distribution as a challenge for emerging filmmakers, and how streaming releases can extend the life of smaller films.
What did the AI panel conclude about AI in filmmaking?
Director Kang Yun-sung reported AI cut costs by streamlining shooting, and Wētā FX's Kimball Thurston said it saves time on repetitive work. Both said AI should not replace the human touch and emotional storytelling.
Sources & further reading
- Creative Asia Returns to BIFF 2026, Connecting Asia’s Next Storytellers with the Region’s Top Creators ↗about.netflix.com
Help keep the record accurate. Send a correction.
