11 ASEAN Filmmakers Gather in Busan for FLY Reunion from October 9–14

The Busan Film Commission (Chairperson Kang Sung-kyu) will host 'FLY Reunion 2026', the first program of the '2026-2028 Korea-ASEAN Film Community Program: FLY PLUS' (hereinafter FLY PLUS), in Busan from Friday, October 9, to Wednesday, October 14.

FLY PLUS is a Korea-ASEAN film cooperation project that will operate for three years, co-hosted and managed by Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Film Commission, with support from the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, AKCF.

'FLY Reunion 2026' is an alumni program where FLY graduates share their recent activities and projects and seek new possibilities for cooperation. A total of 11 ASEAN filmmakers, one each from the 11 ASEAN nations, will participate, ranging from the first FLY graduates in 2012 to the graduates of 2025.

Key participants include Cambodian director Kanndarung Mony, a 2012 graduate, and Myanmar director Pyae Zaw Phyo, a 2025 graduate. Director Kanndarung Mony released his feature film debut 'Far Away, Close you to' in Cambodia this February, and director Pyae Zaw Phyo released 'I wanna be your Lobster...', which was screened as the opening film of the FLY film festival last year, in 73 theaters in Myanmar this May.

Among the participants, director Bety Reis, who comes from Timor-Leste—which became the 11th full member of ASEAN last year—will participate in this event as an observer. Director Bety Reis co-directed Timor-Leste's first feature film 'Beatriz’s War'.

Participants will attend the Busan International Film Festival, Asia's largest film festival, and the Asia Contents & Film Market (ACFM), and share the latest trends in the film industry through major programs.

On Sunday, October 11, at 2:30 PM, they will participate in the 'FLY PLUS, FLY Reunion Networking Happy Hour' held at the Busan Film Commission joint booth within ACFM. On the morning of Tuesday, the 13th, they will embark on a 'Busan Film and Video Location Tour'.

On the afternoon of the same day, they will participate in an 'Alumni Round Table' and a 'Special Lecture'. At the round table, they will share the latest industry trends and insights gained from the film festival and market, and discuss the environment and challenges for continuing production activities in their home countries, as well as solidarity among alumni and future directions for cooperation.

Following this, Kim Young-woo, the Asian region programmer for BIFAN, will give a special lecture on the theme of 'Understanding International Film Festivals and the Film Industry'. The lecture will cover practical field know-how, focusing on preparation strategies for entering major world film festivals and business methods using film festival platforms.

Meanwhile, 'FLY Creative Lab 2026', the ASEAN feature film project development program of FLY PLUS, is also preparing for its full-scale launch. A total of 109 projects were submitted during the project call held from August 23 to September 6, and screening is currently underway to select a total of 11 projects, one from each country.

The selected projects will participate in 'LAB1', which will be held in Brunei this December, following online consulting from Korean and ASEAN film industry experts. Through this, the development of projects for Korea-ASEAN international co-productions is expected to begin in earnest.

Introduction to Busan Film Commission

The Busan Film Commission is the first professional filming support organization in Korea, launched in 1999 to develop the domestic video industry and foster Busan into an international film and video city. It plays an all-encompassing role in completing the film city of Busan by attracting domestic and international productions through Busan location support and production support, fostering local creators, and operating major businesses in the film and video industry.

20260929 [Press Release] Busan Film Commission holds FLY PLUS first program FLY Reunion 2026.hwp

20260929 [Press Release] Busan Film Commission holds FLY PLUS first program FLY Reunion 2026.pdf

◆ At a Glance

· Issuing Organization: Busan Film Commission

· Category: Film, Diplomacy, Busan Film Commission

· Distribution: September 29, 2026, at 10:00 AM

Source: Busan Film Commission Press Release (NewsWire)

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