India is set to make a significant mark at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 2025 and the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) in South Korea with a high-level delegation led by Dr L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting. 

This will be the first-ever Ministerial delegation from India to BIFF, underscoring the nation’s commitment to strengthening cultural diplomacy, expand creative collaborations internationally, and position India as a global hub of the Creative Economy.

The delegation will comprise senior officials of the Ministry of I&B, representatives from NFDC, FICCI, FTII, SRFTII, and IIMC, along with select creators from the WAVES Bazaar initiative.

Ahead of the visit, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan said, “India is proud to participate in BIFF 2025, a festival that brings together the best of Asian and global cinema. Our presence here reflects India’s resolve to expand co-productions, create new opportunities in AVGC, and strengthen cultural bonds with South Korea. Through WAVES Bazaar and Bharat Parv, we showcase not only our creative economy but also the timeless heritage and talent of India.”

Key Highlights of India’s Participation

Bharat Pavilion at BIFF & ACFM – Spotlighting the ‘WAVES Bazaar’ Initiative

The Bharat Pavilion will be set up at both BIFF & ACFM under the theme “India – Creative Economy for the World”. The Pavilion will highlight the WAVES Bazaar initiative, designed to connect Indian content creators, producers, and distributors with global markets through B2B meetings. As part of ACFM’s Official Programme, a panel discussion on “India–Korea Synergies: New Horizons in Co-Productions” will be organised with leading industry representatives and government officials from both countries.

Showcasing Indian Cinema at Busan

India’s showcase this year is the strongest-ever, with over ten films reflecting the diversity of Indian storytelling:

• Spying Stars (Padma Shri Nila Madhab Panda) – competing in the Inaugural Competition section.
• If on a Winter Night (Sanju Surendran); Kok Kok Kokoook (Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap); Shape of Momo(Tribeny Rai) – under Vision Asia section.
• Other projects include Bayaan (Bikas Ranjan Mishra); Don’t Tell Mother (Anoop Lokkur); Full Plate (Tannishtha Chatterjee); Karinji (Sheetal N.S.); I, Poppy (Vivek Chaudhary).

At the Asian Project Market (ACFM), five Indian projects are selected for the Co-Production Market:

• Difficult Daughters – directed by Soni Razdan; produced by Alia Bhatt, Shaheen Bhatt, Alan McAlex, and Grishma Shah.
• The Last of Them Plagues – directed by Kunjila Mascillamani; produced by Payal Kapadia, Jeo Baby, and Kani Kusruti.
• Lanka (The Fire) – directed by Saurav Rai; produced by Sudeepta Sadhukhan, Viraj Selot, and Ankita Purkayastha.
• Moon – directed and produced by Pradip Kurbah.
• The Magical Men – directed by Biplob Sarkar; co-produced by India and international partners.

Bharat Parv – Celebrating Indian Culture

The Ministry of I&B will host “Bharat Parv”, a cultural evening featuring Indian arts, music, and cuisine. The event will serve as a platform for deeper people-to-people and cultural connect between India and Korea, with participation of leaders from both Indian and Korean media and entertainment industries.

Policy Dialogues & Collaborations

• A G2G meeting of MoS I&B with the Minister of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Republic of Korea, is planned to launch a structured dialogue for an India–Korea AVGC & Film Co-Production Framework.
• Signing of Letters of Intent (LoIs) is scheduled between NFDC, FTII, IICT (India) and Korean institutions including KAFA, KOFIC, KOCCA, as well as Korean OTT platforms for training, exchange programmes, and Indian content distribution.

About BIFF and ACFM

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is one of Asia’s most prestigious film festivals, recognised by FIAPF alongside the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the Cannes Film Festival. The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM)serves as a premier co-production and financing platform, connecting filmmakers with global investors and partners.

By Dharmendra Tewari\ Navin Sreejith