InnoAsia 2026 at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market is drawing major tech and content players, including Google DeepMind, AWS, Kling AI, and Alibaba Group, with a broad lineup spanning AI, virtual production, branded content, and microdrama.

First-round selections will be announced in early September, with final pitches later in September and final project selections during ACFM; selected projects will receive production funding and be showcased to audiences in Korea and internationally.

Kling AI will co-host sessions focused on new cinematic possibilities and industry networking as part of ACFM.

A new competition, Cinema by Brand 2026, is co-hosted by ACFM and Innocean, with the Producers Guild of Korea overseeing selection and production; 20-minute short films centered on Hanwha Group’s Space Solar Power will compete for production funding and international festival exposure.

Cinema by Brand functions as an investment and production platform linking client brands with filmmakers to develop new content, emphasizing 20-minute shorts around Space Solar Power.

The event agenda features hands-on training, industry colloquiums, AI-enabled feature and series showcases, and networking receptions tied to production needs across Asia.

TAICCA School will bring imCore, an AI VFX efficiency startup, to participate, highlighting collaboration with Taiwan’s creative sector.

AWS and MegazoneCloud will launch the AWS Awards for startup pitching, awarding cloud vouchers after a PoC process.

Selected Korean and international startups will showcase tools such as AI casting, screenplay analysis, AI dubbing, AI-powered virtual production lighting, and audience analytics.

Microdrama platforms Mango TV, FlickReels, and Vigloo are confirmed participants.

The program comprises tracks for technology proof-of-concept and investment, creators and production, and industry policy, with startup demos, AI previews, and workshops led by VFX supervisors and creators.

InnoAsia 2026 runs October 10–13 at BEXCO, aligning with BIFF and the 21st ACFM, to explore cinema’s intersection with emerging technologies.