The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) has announced the 27 projects that will receive backing from its recently-established Asian Cinema Fund (ACF).

The fund provides support for Asian documentaries and independent feature films in all stages of production to the total amount of $840,000, with matching funds and/or services provided by sponsors.

'Asian Cinema Fund was created with a mission to broaden and deepen PIFF's support for Asian Cinema, and to develop a network between Asian filmmaking communities,' said PIFF festival director Kim Dong-ho.

Thai director Aditya Assarat (3 Friends), whose project Wonderful Town has won post-production support, commented that as an independent filmmaker, 'It can be lonely work, but the ACF is saying, 'You are not alone - we see you, and support you.''

ACF has selected and will provide various support to 27 film projects under three categories - Independent Feature Script and Project Development Fund, organised by the Association of Korea Independent Film & Video and PIFF; the Independent Feature Post-Production Support Fund, and the Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund.

The Independent Feature Post-Production Support provides matching funds for post work done with the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), which has a print processing lab and post facilities, Busan University, Kodak Korea, and post houses such as Hollywood Film Recorder (HFR), Star East Digital Lab, Wave Lab and Live Tone.

Although the fund has no strings attached, such as options and rights to the films' screenings and premieres, PIFF Asian Cinema programmer Kim Ji-seok said, 'We are happy to say most of the films selected in this category will make it into the final selection for the festival.' The festival's line-up will be announced on September 4.

The AND Fund is sponsored by Youngsan University, Dongseo University, Kyungsung University, Busan University of Foreign Studies, Dong-Eui University, A.tion Fashion, Busan Bank, PanStar Cruise Ferry, Overseas Korean Foundation, and JoongAng Media Network.

Full List of Selections:

1. Independent Feature Script and Project Development Fund (each awarded $10,000)

1) Asian Projects Category:

Addicted to Love / China / Writer-Director: LIU Hao

Serbis / Philippines / Writer-Director: Brillante MENDOZA

Virgin Goat / India / Writer-Director: Murali NAIR

Waiting For Snow In Kyantan / Malaysia / Writer-Director: TAN Chui Mui

2) Korean Projects Category:

Eclipse (Wallseek) / Writer-Director: SON Young-Sung

Goblin (Dokebi) / Writer-Director: YANG Hae-Hoon

Winter Cherry (Quarry) / Writer-Director: CHO Eunhee

3) Pusan Projects Category

Girl Of The Himalayas / Writer-Director: JEON Sooil

2. Independent Feature Post-production Support Fund

1) Asian Projects Category:

Fujian Blue / China / Director: MING Weng Shou / Producer: ZHANG Xian Min

Life Track (Gueh-Do) / China / Writer-Director: JIN Guang Hao / Producer: JANG Ryul

Opium War / Afghanistan / Writer-Director-Producer: Siddiq BARMAK

Wonderful Town / Thailand / Writer-Director: Aditya ASSARAT / Producer: Soros SUKHUM

2) Korean Projects Category:

Hello, Stranger (Cheum Mannan Saramdeul) / Director: KIM Dong-Hyun / Producer: PARK Jin-Soo

My Song Is... (Na-Ee Nore-Eun) / Director: AHN Seul-ki

3. AND Fund ($5,000 to $10,000 for 13 projects in pre-production, production or post-production)

1) Asian Projects Category:

In Search Of The Riyal / Nepal / Writer-Director: Kesang TSETEN - DongSeo Asia Fund

Jalanan (Streetside) / Indonesia / Writer-Director: Daniel ZIV - Pusan Bank Fund

Kongchen Ji / China / Writer-Director: DAN Ji - PanStar Fund

My Camera And Tsunami / India / Writer-Director: Venkatramani RAMAKRISHNAN - PUFS Fund

School / China / Writer-Director: TIE Wei - PanStar Fund

The Convert (Muallaf) / Thailand / Writer-Director: Panu AREE - PUFS Fund

Utopia / China / Writer-Director: WANG Yiren - Pusan Bank Fund

Waiting For Herzog / India / Writer-Director: Shaan KHATTAU - DongSeo Asia Fund

2) Korean Projects Category:

The 5th Eye / Writer-Director: MI Young - UniKorea Fund

Women From Farmland / Writer-Director: KWON WooJung - YoungSan Fund

The Smaller, The Prettier / Writer-Director: YOON Doc Hyun - KyungSung Fund

3) Pusan Project Category:

Black Mountain , Black Dirt And The Sky / Writer-Director: KIM Young-Jo - Dong-Eui Cinema Fund

4) Overseas Korean Project Category:

Naming Me / Writer-Director: HAN Seungeuk - OKF Fund

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