Rising Interest in Asian Film Market | European Film Promotion

EFP’s established European Umbrella Booth at the Asian Film Market, greatly expanded in tandem with UniFrance films, is again on site at the Asian Film Market in Busan. The Asian Film Market takes place October 3 – 6 and runs alongside the Busan International Film Festival. The annual growing number of attending European sales companies - with new ones joining every year - proves how important this market has become in terms of networking and sales to Korea and other countries in Asia at this particular time of the year.

EFP and UniFrance films are hosting an overall high of 37 sales companies and six EFP member organisations, supporting them in meetings with Asian buyers and distributors.

Most of the companies benefit from Film Sales Support (FSS), EFP’s marketing support. FSS, totalling almost €120,000, goes towards the promotion of altogether 42 European films from twelve countries. EFP’s strong presence at the Asian Film Market is financially backed by the Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union and participating EFP member organisations, UniFrance films and German Films.

The line-up of FSS supported films includes festival success and Kosovo’s Oscar Entry Babai by Visar Morina, a German coproduction with Kosovo, Macedonia and France. Babai is promoted and sold by Greek sales outfit, Heretic Outreach, which attends the Asian Film Market for the first time. Director Visar Molina accompanies his film as part of EFP’s artistic delegation to the Busan International Film Festival, as are Jan Bultheel (Cafard) and Ute von Münchow-Pohl (Raven The Little Rascal – The Big Race) amongst many others. At the market, Cafard is being represented by Urban Distribution Intl., Raven The Little Rascal – The Big Race by Sola Media.

To encourage networking and exchange, EFP hosts its annual industry reception where professionals and talent from Europe and Asia gather after business hours. The delegation of European directors is being presented at this reception.

FSS support for the three Swiss films is provided by EFP member organization, SWISS FILMS.

FSS funding for national films was confirmed by the respective EFP member organisations: British Council, Danish Film Institute, Estonian Film Institute, EYE International, Finnish Film Foundation, Flanders Image, German Films, Istituto Luce Cinecittà, Instituto de la Cinematografía de las Artes Audiovisuales / ICAA (Spain), Swiss Films, Swedish Film Institute, Unifrance films.