The Asian Contents & Film Market brings together tech giants and filmmakers to reshape how movies are made.
The entertainment industry is about to witness a major shift as some of the world’s biggest technology companies prepare to gather in South Korea this October. Google DeepMind, Amazon Web Services (AWS) , Kling AI, and Alibaba Group have all confirmed their participation in InnoAsia 2026, a special program that connects filmmaking with cutting-edge technology.
This event is part of the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), which runs alongside the Busan International Film Festival. InnoAsia 2026 will take place from October 10 to 13 at the BEXCO exhibition centre in Busan. The main film festival itself runs from October 6 to 15.
What Is InnoAsia and Why Does It Matter?
InnoAsia is a platform that brings together filmmakers, tech companies, and content creators to explore how new technologies can change the way stories are told on screen. The program operates under the vision of “an innovative ecosystem in which cinema and technology co-evolve”.
This year’s event marks a significant expansion. The program now covers everything from AI-powered film production to branded content and the fast-growing microdrama business. It is no longer just a film market but a full-scale technology and content gathering.
The participation of Google DeepMind, known for its advanced artificial intelligence research, and AWS, the leading cloud computing platform, shows how seriously the entertainment industry is taking AI. Kling AI, a generative AI video platform, and Alibaba Group, the Chinese tech giant, are also joining the lineup.
Cinema by Brand: Turning Ads into Real Movies
One of the most interesting new initiatives at InnoAsia 2026 is called Cinema by Brand. This is a competition co-hosted by ACFM and Innocean, a global marketing and advertising agency. The Producers Guild of Korea is handling the selection process and production oversight.
The idea behind Cinema by Brand is simple but powerful. Instead of making regular commercials, brands can work with filmmakers to create actual short films with real stories. These are not advertisements in the traditional sense. They are standalone movies that carry a brand’s message through narrative.
This year, the competition is asking for 20-minute short films based on Hanwha Group’s “Space Solar Power” theme. First-round selections will be announced in early September, followed by final pitching later that month. The winners will be revealed during ACFM in October.
Selected teams will receive production funding, and their finished films will be shown to audiences in South Korea and internationally. A special session during the market will explore what branded content means for the business, with participation expected from Hanwha, Innocean, and the selected directors.
Major Tech Players and What They Bring
The list of technology companies at InnoAsia 2026 goes beyond the four headline names. Other AI-driven tech participants include BytePlus, Alibaba Cloud, Netflix’s VFX studio Eyeline Studios, MegazoneCloud, and OPIM Digital. The Korean Film Archive’s VFX trading platform i.AM and short-form content platform Inshorts are also taking part.
On the content production side, France’s Atlas V, an AI and XR content studio, is joining alongside Korean companies like Mateo AI Studio, MBC C&I, Climax Studio, For Entertainment, K-Dragon, and MooAm. Microdrama platforms Mango TV, FlickReels, and Vigloo have also confirmed their participation.
Kling AI will co-host two sessions with ACFM. One is called “New Cinematic Possibilities: Reimagining Filmmaking with Kling AI,” and the other is a networking reception focused on production needs across Asia.
AWS and MegazoneCloud are launching new AWS Awards linked to startup pitching. Winners will be chosen through a proof-of-concept process and will receive AWS cloud vouchers.
International Connections and Global Reach
InnoAsia is also strengthening its ties with international film markets. The European Film Market (EFM) , which is part of the Berlin International Film Festival, is sending representatives. Lux AI, an EFM-linked startup that builds intelligent lighting tools for virtual production, will travel to Busan. Tanja Meissner, Director of Berlinale Pro and EFM, is also set to visit.
Through a partnership with TAICCA School under the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, VFX-efficiency startup imCore will also take part.
Korean Startups Take the Stage
Seven Korean startups were chosen through an open call run with the Busan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and AWS. These companies span the full content pipeline.
Lumicraft’s AI casting tool Castlink handles actor discovery, contracting, and settlement. Reproduction’s Pre-Flow manages screenplay analysis and production data sharing. For localization, Voithru’s Totus offers AI dubbing across 29 languages, and XL8 brings both MediaCAT and EventCAT for video localization and real-time interpretation.
On the exhibition side, Digion Cinema will show an online cinema platform and AR smart glasses built for film viewing. MyStarChain will present its blockchain voting platform MyStarPick, and HiStranger will introduce Insight Flow, a tool that reads biosignals to gauge audience emotional responses.
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What This Means for the Entertainment Industry
The gathering of so many major tech companies in one place signals a clear message: artificial intelligence and new technologies are becoming essential parts of filmmaking. From AI-assisted casting and dubbing to virtual production and blockchain-based voting, the tools available to filmmakers are expanding rapidly.
For viewers, this could mean more diverse content, faster production times, and potentially lower costs for independent creators. For the industry, it represents a shift in how movies and series are made, distributed, and experienced.
The Busan International Film Festival has long been a launching pad for Asian cinema. With InnoAsia, it is now positioning itself as a hub for the technological future of storytelling. The presence of Google DeepMind, AWS, and other global leaders confirms that this vision is being taken seriously by the biggest names in tech.
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