Creative Asia Returns to BIFF, Bringing Diverse Programming to Nurture Asia’s Emerging Filmmakers for a Third Year

Netflix, in partnership with the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), is bringing Creative Asia back for a third consecutive year - its biggest edition yet, with programming developed alongside BIFF, the Asian Film Commissions Network (AFCNet) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

Creative Asia is Netflix's flagship program dedicated to helping the region's next generation of creators turn their ideas into stories for the screen. Taking place on October 10 at the Dongseo University Centum Campus, this year's programming is designed and diversified to meet the needs of emerging creators.

This year's programming includes masterclasses on cinematography, storytelling and film locations, alongside candid industry conversations on films of diverse budget sizes and AI's growing role in the creative process. Creative Asia will also host workshops for the first time, giving aspiring creators the chance to learn directly from Netflix content leads.

Details on each session are below:

Masterclasses

• Location and Storytelling. Choosing a filming location is not just about finding a backdrop - local identity, cultural context, and atmosphere can all become powerful creative assets. Moderated by Professor James Bang of Busan Asian Film School, this session brings distinct perspectives from Lauren Cooper (Location Managers Guild International), Reiko Kunieda (producer of Perfect Days ), and Sung Q Lee (Sr. Director, APAC Production at Netflix).

• Han Jun-hee's Notes: Making Unexpected Stories Resonate. Director Han Jun-hee ( D.P. 1 & 2 , Weak Hero Class 1 & 2 , The Blue Road ) has a gift for turning unexpected, even uncomfortable subjects into stories that capture the world's attention. Drawing on examples from his work, he'll unpack how he discovers a story's raw material and shapes it into something compelling, pushing through doubt to bring each project to life.

• Cinematography of Possible Love : Quiet, Yet Deeper. Cinematographer Kim Ji-yong shares how he and director Lee Chang-dong shaped the visual world of Possible Love . Kim will walk through the concrete choices behind that process - from stripping away artificial light in favor of natural light, to the extensive preparation that went into it - illustrated with clips from the film.

Industry Panels

• New Voices in Filmmaking: What's Ahead. Moderated by BIFF programmer Jeong Jihye, the panelists include new and emerging voices in Korea's filmmaking, Namkoong Sun ( Love Untangled , Time to be Strong ) and Wi Eun-kyoung and Son Gwang-min, co-directors of My Aunt (Grand Prize winner at Korea's 2026 Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival). Together, this panel will explore the joys and challenges of directing small- to medium-budget films and why these still matter.

• AI in Filmmaking: New Tools, New Possibilities. Netflix and the MPA will co-host a panel exploring how AI is being adopted in filmmaking across APAC. Together, the panel will share firsthand experiences using AI across different corners of the industry, how they envision the way forward, and the essential role of human-first creativity. Moderated by film critic Youn Sung-eun, the panel brings together Sung Q Lee (Sr. Director, APAC Production at Netflix), Kimball Thurston (CTO at WETA FX) and Director Kang Yun-sung ( Run to the West, The Outlaws ).

Workshops

• The Art and Archetypes of Cinematic Storytelling. Led by Christopher Mack (Director, Content Acquisition at Netflix), this workshop for writers of all levels breaks down what makes a pilot compelling and the structural choices that keep audiences watching. Chris will unpack the archetypes that underpin great stories today, along with tips and tools to make the writing process more playful and rewarding.

• Understanding the Buyer's Perspective. Led by Keo Lee (Director, Creative Strategy at Netflix), this workshop pulls back the curtain on how the other side of the table thinks: what motivates greenlight decisions, how a show gets chosen for financing, and what kind of script or story stays in the imagination long after the pitch ends.

Building on two years of programming with BIFF and, last year, Indonesia's JAFF, Creative Asia continues Netflix's commitment to nurturing new talent and strengthening ties with creative communities across the region, in partnership with some of Asia-Pacific's most influential film festivals.