Supporting APAC Creators: Netflix Hosts Next-Gen Filmmakers for Creative Asia Forum at BIFF 2024

The first Creative Asia Forum took place during the 2024 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) this week, with over 130 up-and-coming filmmakers from across Asia in attendance. The event connected the festival's rising talent with APAC's creative leaders, featuring masterclass conversations with top creators and workshops with Netflix's content and production teams.

The Forum marked the first partnership between Netflix and BIFF, with Chief Programmer Nam Dong-chul opening the event, saying "I hope that we get to hear voices that we've never heard before, hear stories that have never been told before, and pave the way for new films and stories to find their voice. I truly hope that forums like this will continue to prosper, so that it will serve as a great opportunity for us to discover new talent and new voices and new storytellers."

Minyoung Kim, Netflix's VP of Content for APAC(ex-India), gave a keynote address celebrating the creative potential across Asia Pacific. "When we collaborate as an overall region, I believe that APAC as a content hub has potential comparable to Hollywood. Talent from different countries can come together and create their own unique take on a story. At Netflix, we already have existing teams and infrastructure in all of these different markets. So, whether it's above the line or below the line, we believe that we can bring together the strengths of different countries so that greater creative visions can come to life, and we can tell great stories."

Kim noted that Korean and Japanese language titles are in the Top 3 most viewed non-English content on Netflix globally. "With Netflix bringing local stories to 280 million people around the world, the way stories are told has completely changed. However, that's not to say that we set out to make global hits. Because when you try to make a show for everyone, you end up making a show for no one. At Netflix, we focus on finding local authenticity that has the potential to travel globally. We truly believe that it is this local authenticity that allows us to find great content."

The event featured masterclass conversations with established creators from across Asia Pacific. Acclaimed Japanese director Hiroshi Kurosaki discussed how real experiences inspired the upcoming series Beyond Goodbye. "We wanted to create a world that's five centimeters above reality. But even though the story is a little lifted from reality, it's set in the real world. And so when we were putting together the art and sets, we wanted to invest a lot of resources and time in preparing this production. Netflix allowed that. And so for me, and all the team staff, we were very, very appreciative of Netflix."

The creators behind forthcoming Chinese-language series Born For The Spotlight, which had its world premiere at BIFF this week, discussed how great storytelling transcends language. Producer Olive Tingnoted: "To be invited to Busan to premiere, we were a bit worried whether the international viewers would understand the local context of the series. But surprisingly, people from United States or viewers from Korea have given us positive feedback. They can relate to these characters as a mother, as a daughter. And they are crying or laughing with certain scenes in the story. So I think humanity can cross cultural and language barriers."

The series'director Yi-Wen Yenremarked how roles for women in Asian storytelling were evolving, recalling: "When I was an actress, there was not a streaming platform like Netflix in Taiwan, and many of our stories at that time focused on the male lead. As a female actress, I was mostly functional or decorative. I started to play a mom since I was 20 years old - so I have a lot of children in show business over the years! But I find it quite interesting that in recent years, after Netflix and other streaming services joined the market, we are seeing some changes in the local industries. In the past, actresses did not have many options. But now it seems that we have more genres, more characters, and more options. Even if I'm going to play a mom now, the performance and delivery will be different. I'm very happy to see these changes in Taiwan. We can tell the stories I really want to tell."

Indonesian creators Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, who won Best Directors at the Asian Content Awards during BIFF this week forCigarette Girl, discussed the themes that global audiences resonated with in their hit show. "This story is all about female strength. In a time where female projects and dreams don't have that much room and opportunity, we make a stage and spotlight for that strength and those voices that needed to be acknowledged. And this is the time for that. This is a time to acknowledge many things that have been untold and forgotten. Now it's possible, and we have to celebrate that possibility," said Andini.

The event also featured a production workshop to inspire young filmmakers on how to bring their ideas to life using a mix of creativity, collaboration, and simple, accessible technology, led by Netflix's Head of APAC Production, Sung Q Leeand Head of Korean Production, Jungsu Ha.

Netflix's content leaders from across Asia Pacific took to the stage for an open Q&A with the emerging creators in the audience, withDon Kang(VP of Content, Korea), Kaata Sakamoto(VP of Content, Japan), Maya Huang (Head of Chinese Language Content),Malobika Banerji (Head of Southeast Asia Content) and Minyoung Kimfielding questions on working with Netflix, creating authentic stories, casting, local production, and reaching global audiences.

The Creative Asia Forum is part of Netflix's global commitment to fostering creative talent and sharing skills and expertise. Across Asia Pacific, we offer production workshops for ATL and BTL talent, and partner with local organizations to support underrepresented creators with the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity (NFCE). As of the end of 2023, we've committed over $41 million towards NFCE initiatives globally, supporting over 13,000 people through more than 200 programs, reaching people in more than 50 countries around the world. Over 450 people from our programs have gone on to work on Netflix productions in a variety of roles, ranging from line producers and associate editors to casting assistants and grips.

Taking place on Sunday, October 6 in Busan, the Creative Asia Forum was an invite-only event for emerging Asian filmmakers attending the festival, along with filmmaking students and alumni.

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