India will make its biggest-ever presence at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 2025 in South Korea, with a line-up of 10 films and five projects at the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the government said on Tuesday.
For the first time, a ministerial delegation led by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan will represent India at BIFF, underscoring New Delhi’s push to strengthen cultural diplomacy and expand global creative partnerships.
Murugan said India’s participation reflects its resolve to scale up co-productions, create opportunities in the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector, and deepen cultural ties with South Korea. “Through WAVES Bazaar and Bharat Parv, we showcase not only our creative economy but also the timeless heritage and talent of India,” he said ahead of the visit.
The Bharat Pavilion will be set up at BIFF and ACFM under the theme “India – Creative Economy for the World”. It will feature the WAVES Bazaar initiative to connect Indian creators with international markets, and host a panel discussion on “India–Korea Synergies: New Horizons in Co-Productions.”
Among the films to be screened are Spying Stars (Padma Shri Nila Madhab Panda), which is competing in the Inaugural Competition section, and If on a Winter Night (Sanju Surendran), Kok Kok Kokoook (Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap), and Shape of Momo (Tribeny Rai) in the Vision Asia section. Other titles include Bayaan, Don’t Tell Mother, Full Plate, Karinji, and I, Poppy.
At ACFM, five Indian projects have been selected for the Co-Production Market, including Difficult Daughters (produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt), The Last of Them Plagues, Lanka (The Fire), Moon, and The Magical Men.
The Ministry of I&B will also host Bharat Parv, a cultural evening showcasing Indian music, cuisine, and arts to celebrate India’s cultural ties with South Korea.
On the policy front, Murugan will hold a bilateral meeting with South Korea’s Culture Minister to launch a structured dialogue on film co-production and AVGC collaboration. Letters of Intent are also expected to be signed between NFDC, FTII, IICT and Korean institutions including KAFA, KOFIC, KOCCA, as well as Korean OTT platforms.
BIFF is one of Asia’s premier film festivals, while ACFM serves as a leading co-production and financing platform connecting filmmakers with global partners.