Busan market chief Ellen Y.D. Kim on AI, Korea's rebound, funding and Thailand and Japan
In interviews with Deadline and Variety, ACFM director Ellen Y.D. Kim describes a growing Busan market (339 exhibitors) and Korea's box-office rebound. Variety also reports Kim's warning that public funding has stalled.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the industry platform of the Busan International Film Festival, runs at BEXCO from 10 to 13 October, during the festival (6–15 October). DeadlineN “ACFM is taking place at BEXCO from October 10-13, during Busan International Film Festival (October 6-15).” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2Market director Ellen Y.D. Kim told Deadline and Variety that 339 institutions and companies from 32 countries and territories are exhibiting, up 17% from 289 exhibitors from 31 countries last year. DeadlineN “This year 339 institutions and companies from 32 countries and territories are exhibiting, including four with online-only booths. That is up 17% from 289 exhibitors from 31 countries last year” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “This year there are 339 exhibiting companies and institutions from 32 countries and territories, 17% more than last year.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2Tech exhibitors rose from seven to 18, and national agencies and film commissions from 62 to 79. DeadlineN “Tech exhibitors have increased from seven to 18, and national agencies and film commissions from 62 to 79.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “Tech exhibitors went from seven to 18, and national agencies and film commissions from 62 to 79.” Read at Variety ↗
Mixed · 2Thailand is the market's first 'Country of Honor' with 28 exhibitors, up from 17, and Japan is the Producers Hub 'Focus Country' with 46 exhibitors, the largest international presence. Kim said both reflect their governments' push to take content industries overseas, and that Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs is taking part directly for the first time. DeadlineN “Thailand has been anointed the first ever ‘Country of Honor’, while Japan is the ‘Focus Country’ in the Producers Hub.”“Japan, the Producer Hub Focus Country, is now the largest international presence with 46 exhibitors.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “Thailand, the market’s first Country of Honor, has 28 exhibitors.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2The AI-focused InnoAsia strand, launched last year, is in its second edition. Kim said Mateo AI Studio raised KRW2 billion ($1.5 million) in pre-Series A funding, and that the AI feature 'Steelay' will preview at this year's Work-in-Progress Showcase before opening in Korean cinemas on 20 October. Companies attending include Google DeepMind, AWS, Kling AI and Alibaba Group. DeadlineN “Companies attending this segment of the market include Google DeepMind, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kling AI and Alibaba Group.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “One year after InnoAsia’s launch, Mateo AI Studio has raised KRW2 billion ($1.5 million) in pre-Series A funding.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2On Korea, Kim cited first-half box office up 42% on last year, admissions up 34% (to 57.05 million, per Deadline) and Korean films taking 64% of revenue. Deadline quotes Kim saying 'the recovery is real'; Variety adds that there were 22 fewer Korean releases, that Korean commercial films averaged a return of minus 33% in 2025, and quotes Kim calling it 'a rebound, not yet a structural recovery'. DeadlineN “The recovery is real. Box office for the first half of this year reached $431m (KRW 579bn), up 42% on the same period last year, while admissions rose 34% to 57.05 million.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “I see this as a rebound, not yet a structural recovery.”“But there were 22 fewer Korean releases, and Korean commercial films averaged a return of minus 33% in 2025.” Read at Variety ↗
Left · 1Variety reports Kim's plan for a year-round 'ACFM 365' database and matchmaking platform, and Kim's statement that national funding for ACFM has stayed at the same level for two years while the market has grown. VarietyLC “National funding for ACFM has stayed at the same level for two years running.”“Kim calls the idea ACFM 365.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Kim also voiced concern about AI, saying institutions and people are not keeping up with the technology, that junior crew could lose training grounds, and that if Asia does not own models trained on Asian languages and images, the IP problem of the platform era will repeat. VarietyLC ““What concerns me is that institutions and people are not keeping up with the speed of the technology,” Kim says.”““And if Asia does not own the models trained on Asian languages and images, the IP problem we lived through in the platform era will repeat itself.”” Read at Variety ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Variety leads on Kim's year-round ACFM 365 plan and warning that public funding has stalled.
- Emphasis
- Funding shortfall, IP ownership, cautious reading of Korea's rebound and AI risks.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives less detail on Thailand and Japan spotlight rationale and on InnoAsia's company roster.
- Charged language
- “Warns Public Funding Has Stalled”
- For example
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““The biggest obstacle is funding,” Kim says.” — Variety
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Deadline runs a Q&A previewing the market, led by the new programs, AI and the Thailand and Japan spotlights.
- Emphasis
- Program line-up, exhibitor growth, AI success stories and the Korean recovery.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not foreground funding stagnation or the caveats on Korean recovery that Variety reports.
- Charged language
- “anointed”
- For example
-
“The recovery is real.” — Deadline
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- 339 exhibitors from 32 countries and territories, up 17%
- Thailand is first Country of Honor with 28 exhibitors; Japan is Producers Hub Focus Country with 46
- First-half Korean box office up 42%, admissions up 34%, Korean films 64% of revenue
- Mateo AI Studio raised KRW2bn ($1.5m); AI feature Steelay opens in Korea on 20 October
Where accounts differ
-
How healthy Korea's film industry is
- Left
- Variety quotes Kim calling it 'a rebound, not yet a structural recovery', citing 22 fewer releases and -33% average commercial return.
- Centre
- Deadline quotes Kim: 'The recovery is real', stressing breadth of hits.
Ellen Y.D. Kim person
Presents ACFM as growing and broadening beyond finished films, calls Korea's recovery real in one interview but only a rebound in the other, and flags funding, AI and IP ownership as concerns.
“The recovery is real.” — Deadline
““The biggest obstacle is funding,” Kim says.” — Variety
Asian Contents & Film Market organisation
The market describes its aim as to 'Connect, Strengthen, and Expand' during a turbulent period, while keeping cinema as its core.
““Connect, Strengthen, and Expand”” — Deadline
““The core is cinema,” Kim says.” — Variety
Left1 article
-
Mixed Interview emphasising ambitions alongside funding stagnation and a cautious view of Korea's recovery.
Centre1 article
-
ACFM Chief Ellen YD Kim Talks AI Development; Korean Recovery; Market Spotlights On Thailand & Japan
Neutral Promotional-leaning Q&A previewing ACFM's programs, AI and country spotlights.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 10 Oct 00:00 First DeadlineN ACFM Chief Ellen YD Kim Talks AI Development; Korean Recovery; Market Spotlights On Thailand & Japan
- 10 Oct 10:38 +10h 39m VarietyLC Busan Market Chief Ellen Y.D. Kim Plots Year-Round ACFM 365 Platform, Warns Public Funding Has Stalled
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.