The inaugural Creative Asia Forum took place during the 2024 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) this week, attracting over 130 emerging filmmakers from across the continent. This groundbreaking event connected rising talent with leading figures in the APAC creative industry, featuring masterclasses with top creators and workshops led by Netflix’s content and production teams.
This marks the first collaboration between Netflix and BIFF, with Chief Programmer Nam Dong-chul opening the forum, expressing hopes to uncover unheard voices and untold stories. He stated, “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.”
In her keynote address, Minyoung Kim, Netflix’s VP of Content for APAC (excluding India), celebrated the creative potential of the region, stating, “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 also highlighted the success of Korean and Japanese titles on Netflix, noting that they rank among the top three most-viewed non-English content globally.
The forum included masterclass sessions with renowned creators, such as acclaimed Japanese director Hiroshi Kurosaki, who discussed his upcoming series Beyond Goodbye. He remarked, “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 the forthcoming Chinese-language series Born For The Spotlight, which premiered at BIFF, shared insights on storytelling that transcends language barriers. Producer Olive Ting noted, “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 the 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.” Director Yi-Wen Yen discussed the evolving roles for women in Asian storytelling, stating, “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 filmmakers Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, who won Best Directors at the Asian Content Awards during BIFF for their film Cigarette Girl, discussed the universal themes of their work. Andini remarked, “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.”
The event also included a production workshop led by Netflix’s Head of APAC Production, Sung Q Lee, and Head of Korean Production, Jungsu Ha, aimed at empowering young filmmakers to bring their ideas to life using creativity and accessible technology. Netflix’s content leaders participated in an open Q&A session with the emerging filmmakers, addressing topics such as authentic storytelling, casting, and local production strategies.
The Creative Asia Forum is part of Netflix’s broader commitment to nurturing creative talent across the globe. Through initiatives like the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity (NFCE), which has invested over $41 million globally to support underrepresented creators, the company aims to foster innovation and diversity in storytelling. As of 2023, more than 450 individuals from NFCE programs have joined Netflix productions in various roles.
Taking place on 6th October in Busan, the Creative Asia Forum was an invite-only event designed for emerging filmmakers attending the festival, along with filmmaking students and alumni.
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