Korea and Italy Forge Direct Producer Collaboration at Busan Market

At the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK) and CNA Cinema e Audiovisivo (CNA) formalized a partnership through a memorandum of understanding. Signed on Sunday at the Italian Pavilion, the agreement aims to create direct communication channels between producers in South Korea and Italy, leveraging the two nations’ existing government-level co-production accord.

Lee Dong-ha, president of PGK, and Francesco Lattarulo, CNA’s national vice president, signed the document on behalf of their respective organizations. Under the terms of the deal, each group will serve as a liaison for joint productions and share insights regarding public funding opportunities available to producers in their home countries. Additionally, the pact establishes regular exchange programs, including annual meetings, showcases, and business-to-business sessions held in both nations and at international markets such as ACFM and Rome’s Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo (MIA).

“Italy and Korea now have a co-production framework between governments, but films are made by producers, not by frameworks,” Lee stated. “This MoU puts the two producer communities in direct contact so that the agreement turns into projects that reach audiences in both countries.” While the bilateral treaty between the governments set institutional ground rules, this new pact focuses on practical execution, including co-productions, filming in Italy, and professional exchanges.

Gianluca Curti, CNA’s national president, expressed optimism about the collaboration, noting that the relationship began when CNA first recognized South Korea’s potential at previous Busan editions. He added that the bilateral co-production agreement was welcomed, and the direct partnership with PGK offers companies new opportunities to transform shared ideas into ambitious projects.

The Italian presence at ACFM has grown since 2023, when CNA facilitated a government delegation visit that led to Italy securing its own pavilion at the market starting in 2024. PGK, which counts nearly 300 members responsible for major titles such as “Parasite,” “Train to Busan,” and “Squid Game,” has expanded its international network significantly since the pandemic. The guild already maintains MoUs with producer associations in Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Brazil.

CNA is Italy’s largest representative body for film and audiovisual businesses, operating within a national confederation of approximately 620,000 entrepreneurs across all 20 Italian regions. Its membership includes producers, distributors, sales agents, and post-production firms.

In a separate development earlier the same morning at ACFM, PGK also signed a co-production MoU with the Sakha Filmmakers Association, representing producers from the Sakha Republic in Russia’s Far East.