Google DeepMind and Amazon Join Busan InnoAsia 2026

The Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) of the Busan International Film Festival has announced the lineup for InnoAsia 2026, aimed at integrating film with emerging technologies. This year’s edition features prominent participants like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google DeepMind, and Alibaba Group, highlighting a significant convergence of cinema and tech.

The InnoAsia program seeks to foster partnerships between global technology companies and seven selected Korean startups, exploring domains ranging from brand collaborations to the burgeoning microdrama industry. In collaboration with the global marketing agency Innocean, ACFM will also introduce a new contest titled Cinema by Brand 2026. This initiative encourages filmmakers to create narrative-driven films from brand advertising, moving away from traditional commercials.

This year’s contest focuses on Hanwha Group’s “Space Solar Power,” with calls for 20-minute short films. The first round will occur in early September, culminating in final pitches later that month. The winning teams will receive production funding and have their films showcased to international audiences.

InnoAsia 2026 is expected to deepen connections between technology firms and cultural markets. Companies participating in the tech sphere, aside from AWS and Google DeepMind, include BytePlus, Alibaba Cloud, and Netflix’s VFX studio, Eyeline Studios, among others.

On the content production side, notable players such as France’s Atlas V and Korea’s Mateo AI Studio will join forces with MBC C&I, Climax Studio, For Entertainment, K-Dragon, and MooAm. The festival aims to spotlight innovative projects with sessions about new cinematic possibilities facilitated by Kling AI, including a networking reception for production needs across Asia.

The AWS and MegazoneCloud partnership will launch new AWS Awards, rewarding successful startup pitches with AWS cloud vouchers. Innoasia also welcomes EFM-linked startup Lux AI and Tanja Meissner, the Berlinale Pro director, both of whom will highlight advancements in virtual production technology.

Seven Korean startups selected through a collaborative effort with the Busan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and AWS are poised to showcase their innovations, spanning various areas of filmmaking and distribution. Startups like Lumicraft with its AI casting tool and Voithru, which offers AI dubbing services, represent a new wave of technological integration in the film industry.

The festival will feature multiple programs across three tracks, covering technology proof-of-concept, creators and production, and industry policy. The InnoAsia Startup Demo Jam will sit at the core of the tech track, where nine companies will pitch their digital asset technologies to interested investors. InnoAsia 2026 will run from October 10 to 13 at BEXCO in Busan, coinciding with the 31st Busan International Film Festival, scheduled from October 6 to 15.