Busan, South Korea – The International Film Business Academy, a regular program of the Busan Asian Film School (AFis), celebrated its matriculation ceremony yesterday, welcoming new students, faculty, staff, and officials from Busan Metropolitan City.
Established in October 2016, AFis is an educational institution designed to develop and support producer-oriented professionals in the Asian film industry. To date, the school has produced 119 graduates from 26 countries. This year, 17 students from 13 countries were selected from 143 applicants, overcoming a high competition rate of 8.4:1.
The selected students will complete a seven-month International Film Business Academy curriculum, which includes workshops on planning and developing feature film projects, lectures on the film industry, film policy, investment, distribution, and marketing storytelling. The program will be run as a pre-COVID-19 curriculum, with both semesters held in Busan.
Two new professors have been invited to strengthen training in storytelling and screenplay development: Director Lee Ho-jae, known for his films “Sori: Voice From The Heart” and “The Scam” and Professor Bang Jun-won, a former film professor in New York and author of a book on screenwriting. Students will also participate in various film festivals, such as the Busan International Film Festival, to enhance their professional network.
A city official from Busan expressed their support for AFis, stating that the school is expected to “foster talented people who will lead the Asian film industry in the future and lay the foundation for cooperation and joint growth of the Asian film industry centered on Busan.” The city plans to continue supporting the initiative.
