Asian Film School to Open in Busan

A pan-Asian film academy will open in Busan next year, the Busan Film Commission confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.

A two-story building will be constructed at the Suyeong Bay Yatching Center, one of the Busan International Film Festival‘s former venues. Educational programs for Asian students will open in late 2015.

“We have yet to finalize the details, but it is likely that the school will be the permanent venue of the Busan Film Festival’s Asian Film Academy,” said Kang Sung-ho, managing director of the Busan Film Commission.

BIFF has been hosting the Asian Film Academy (AFA) for 10 years now, inviting emerging Asian filmmakers to create shorts. For the past three years, the Busan Film Commission has annually been inviting young students from East Asia and ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) member countries to take part in FLY (Film Leaders Incubator) projects.

The Busan city government, festival organizers and film commission are discussing ways to integrate the AFA and FLY into the new school, which will have programs for not only fostering film professionals but also reaching out to the local community. More details will be announced by the end of the year.

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