
Back to All News
Supporting APAC Creators: Netflix Hosts Next-Gen Filmmakers for Creative Asia Forum at BIFF 2024
Entertainment
08 October 2024
GlobalSouth Korea
Link copied to clipboard
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 weve 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 its 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 thats five centimeters above reality. But even though the story is a little lifted from reality, its 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 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 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 Yen remarked 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 Im going to play a mom now, the performance and delivery will be different. Im 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 for Cigarette 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 its 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 Lee and 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, with Don 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 Kim fielding questions on working with Netflix, creating authentic stories, casting, local production, and reaching global audiences.
The Creative Asia Forum is part of Netflix's g
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
04/07/2025
Watching live sports on TV these days is a delicate balance for broadcasters how much information is too much?...
04/07/2025
WASHINGTON As Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr works to achieve his goal of a very busy, productive summer at the FCC, the agency has rele...
04/07/2025
Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SS...
04/07/2025
CANAL Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive
Brie Clayton July 3, 2025
0 Comments
Experience MotoGP like never before as CA...
03/07/2025
For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...
03/07/2025
One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit!
Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit!
Our i...
03/07/2025
The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...
03/07/2025
What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London!
We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography.
A huge thank ...
03/07/2025
ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode
Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...
03/07/2025
To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...
03/07/2025
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Ray Hopkins, president of U.S. distribution at Paramount Global, to its board of directors....
03/07/2025
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. In his first major policy speech, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr outlined his Build America Agenda for the agency'...
03/07/2025
As the industry is making a major push to transition to NextGen TV and develop new businesses that will fund the next generation of broadcasting, TV Tech's ...
03/07/2025
Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the in...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administra...
03/07/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications today launched RefSuite for professional sports workflows....
03/07/2025
WEITERSTADT, Germany LYNX Technik, a provider of modular signal processing solutions, has announced that founder and longtime CEO Winfried Deckelmann is steppin...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON Representatives from six trade groups representing tech, pay TV, broadband, LPTV and other sectors recently met with Federal Communications Commissio...
03/07/2025
PLYMOUTH, Wis. Dan Whealy has acquired Heartland Video Systems and will be its new owner and president, the systems integrator said....
03/07/2025
Acclaimed filmmaker, educator, and industry veteran Jay Holben has released his most ambitious work to date: The Director's Guide to Everything a sweeping...
03/07/2025
For Los Angeles-based photographer Scout Pruski, documenting the annual Dyke Day LA is a way to honor and give back to the city's legacy queer community and...
03/07/2025
Modular, Travel-Ready Solution Matthews Studio Equipment launches the new Chimera V-Flat Panel Frame Kit, the lightweight and modular, ultra-durable alternativ...
03/07/2025
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the release of Dalet Flex 2025.6 LTS (long-term support), introdu...
03/07/2025
Lightware's LARA Wizard makes it quicker and easier than ever to set up audio-visual (AV) room automation and control configurations, ensuring anyone, from ...
03/07/2025
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has obtained both the NCAGE Code (NATO Commercial and Government Entity) and TAA (Trade Agreements Act)...
03/07/2025
nxtedition is implementing a new solution for WIN Network, based in its headquarters in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The nxtedition integrated platfo...
03/07/2025
ORS Group and Insys Video Technologies today announce the launch of a new joint brand identity: Big Blue Marble. The move reflects the evolution of a long-stand...
03/07/2025
Evergent, a global leader in customer lifecycle management and monetization solutions for subscription-based businesses, today announced the successful results ...
03/07/2025
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions today announces an executive leadership transition, effective July 1, 2025. Markus Motzko has been...
03/07/2025
Chaos Releases V-Ray for Blender
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Production-Proven Renderer V-Ray Arrives Natively in Blender for the First Time;...
03/07/2025
Calvin University Adds Blackmagic Replay to Broadcasts and Streams
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Replay workflow joins 14 Blackmagic Design cam...
03/07/2025
Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...
03/07/2025
In today's fragmented media landscape, advertisers expect more than just reach - they want seamless cross-platform campaigns that deliver measurable results...
03/07/2025
** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...
03/07/2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...
03/07/2025
The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025
Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...
03/07/2025
The forecast this month is showing a 100% chance of epic gaming. Catch the scorching lineup of 20 titles coming to the cloud, which gamers can play whether indo...
02/07/2025
Hege Wik and Odin appear in FOLKTALES by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institut...
02/07/2025
(Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Patty Consolazio
This one's for any person who's ever felt put down, left out, marginaliz...
02/07/2025
Calrec expands ecosystem at NAB 2025 giving broadcasters access to dynamic workflows and ultimate flexibility Helping broadcasters meet the shifting needs of me...
02/07/2025
NEW YORK Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, ending a long-running legal saga that could clear the way...
02/07/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has approved the transfer of licenses for five TV stations from Sinclair to Rincon Broadcasting, which announce...
02/07/2025
As the media industry faces an uncertain business climate and rapidly changing consumer habits, TV Tech's most popular stories from the first six months of ...
02/07/2025
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. New data shows that U.S. homes now own an average of two smart TVs, with Samsung and LG dominating the market but Roku and FireTV continue to g...
02/07/2025
LOS ANGELES Funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management have acquired FilmRise, an independent digital streaming content distributor, and merged it with Shout! ...
02/07/2025
WASHINGTON The Advanced Television Systems Committee named Luiz Fausto vice president of standards development, succeeding ATSC vice president Jerry Whitaker, w...
02/07/2025
Boston Conservatory and the Sphinx Organization Join Forces to Make Classical Ed...
02/07/2025
NEW AMSTERDAM CREATOR DAVID SCHULNER JOINS CREATIVE TEAM OF NEW FOX DRAMA SERIE...