Independent producers from South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan have formed the Asian Producers Alliance, a cross-border coalition announced Sunday at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market.
The group starts as a consultative body, not a formal decision-making institution. That is deliberate: it wants to build common negotiating ground before individual producers face platform terms alone.
Who is at the table
Five producer organisations signed on:
- Producers Guild of Korea (South Korea)
- Indonesian Film Producers Association, APROFI (Indonesia)
- Philippine Independent Producers Group (Philippines)
- Hong Kong Movie Production Executives Association (Hong Kong)
- Taiwan Producers Association (Taiwan)
No studios, conglomerates or state bodies are involved. The Producers Guild of Korea and APROFI initiated the group, and “Squid Game” producer Kim Ji-yeon read the founding declaration.
Why it matters for the screen business
Asian content is already a global export engine, but many independent producers still negotiate with well-capitalised streamers one deal at a time. A five-market coalition changes the conversation from “who will commission my next show” to “what terms will we accept as a region.”
The timing sits inside the streaming and short-form disruption discussed on the Busan panel. Tokyo-based producer Yamaguchi Shin put the direction simply: “Think globally.” Several panellists are already working that way, with credits across Sundance, Venice, Cannes and Berlin and cross-border projects such as Sidus’s Korea-Vietnam slate.
Structure and first leadership
PGK president Lee Dong-ha and APROFI chair Edwin Nazir will serve as inaugural co-representatives, with Han Jin and Yulia Evina Bhara as co-secretary generals. Terms run for one year, with elections at each annual general assembly.
What to watch next
APA membership is open during the first year, and more than one organisation per territory may join. Members plan quarterly online meetings and an annual general assembly at ACFM.
The next public marker is the JAFF Market in Yogyakarta this December, where APROFI will host a seminar focused on creators’ IP. For content buyers, sellers and planners, that is the signal to watch: if the alliance starts publishing shared IP principles, commissioning and licensing conversations across Asia will have a new reference point.
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the alliance is a leading indicator rather than a finished deal. If common IP expectations develop, the balance of leverage in Asian content deals could shift from commissioning fees toward co-ownership and revenue share, changing the assets available for remakes, format deals and brand partnerships.
Lee framed the launch as action rather than announcement: “APA is not a declaration – it is a practice of solidarity that begins now.”
Source: Variety
