Five independent producer organizations from Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan launched a coalition, the Asian Producers Alliance (APA), at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM).
The five bodies include the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK), Indonesian Film Producers Association (APROFI), Philippine Independent Producers Group (PIPG), Hong Kong Movie Production Executives Association (HKMPEA) and the Taiwan Producers Association (TPA).
In the initial stages, the alliance aims to support regional and international co-production and protect creators’ intellectual property, while evolving into a consensus body with a formal decision-making structure.
Its founding declaration reads: “We, independent film producers from Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan, gathered today in Busan, declare the formation of the Asian Producers Alliance. For years, we have faced the same changes alone – in our own markets, in our own languages. Today we choose to face them together. We will advance co-production across Asia, so that our stories can be made together and travel further.”
The alliance was launched at the close of a seminar entitled ‘Empowering Asian Cinema: Solidarity and Creative Alliance’, hosted by PGK at the ACFM Producers Hub.
Moderated by Han Jin, Director of PGK’s International Committee, the panel brought together producers Yulia Evina Bhara (Indonesia’s KawanKawan Media), Rhee Handae (CEO of Korea’s Sidus) and Shin Yamaguchi (Japan’s Knockonwood) to discuss the state of their industries and the possibilities of co-production in an environment reshaped by streaming platforms and short-form content.
APA’s inaugural team includes PGK President Lee Dong-ha and APROFI Chairman Edwin Nazir as Co-Representatives, with Han Jin and Yulia Evina Bhara as Co-Sectretary Generals. The Representatives and Secretary Generals willserve one-year terms and are elected each year at the General Assembly held during ACFM.
PGK President Lee Dong-ha said: “Asian producers have faced the same challenges separately, market by market. Starting today, we face them together. APA is not a declaration – it is a practice of solidarity that begins now.”
APROFI Chairman Edwin Nazir said: “APA gives Asian producers a foundation to connect and collaborate. Stronger together, we reach further.”
PIPG Founder Member Bianca Balbuena said: “In a time where divisiveness has dominance, the creation of APA signals a safe space for producers in Asia where we cultivate harmony and collaboration in the film industry, and where collective resources, expertise and vision are shared in solidarity.”
HKMPEA Chairman Johnny Wang said: “In the past, we as producers were accustomed to following the paths paved by our predecessors. Now, with the birth of the APA, we are embarking on an entirely new and unprecedented journey. We believe that in today’s globalized context, international co-productions will bring powerful synergies to every APA member.”
TPA Chairperson Yating Chang said: “It is truly our honor to participate in APA. We are really looking forward to connecting with other producers’ associations around Asia.”
APA will hold regular online meetings every quarter, with a General Assembly convening each year during ACFM in Busan. The alliance is welcoming other producers bodies across the region to join and stress that membership is not limited to one organization per territory.
APA’s next gathering will be at the JAFF Market in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in December, under the theme of creators’ IP.