International
27 Asian films gain eligibility for Busan’s Asian Cinema Fund
NEW DELHI: 27 film projects, including 14 documentaries, are recipients in the latest round of the Busan International Film Festival‘s Asian Cinema Fund.
The awards are divided into three categories, supporting script development, post-production and documentaries. There were a total of 438 submissions, up 10 per cent on last year, including 60 projects from India, 50 from China and 26 from Philippines.
In the Script Development Fund there are three South Korean projects and four Asian projects. The South Korean selection was particularly competitive this year with an 87 per cent increase in submissions from local film-makers.
The three local directors – GOH Tae-jeong, KIM Geon and SHIM Hyeon-seok – have a track record as short film directors and will develop their first feature films with the fund.
The festival has a broad definition of Asia, which includes Syria, awarding a script development fund to Soudade Kaadan‘s The Day I Lost My Shadow. The three other Asian projects originate from India, Philippines and Indonesia.
Five projects have been selected for the Post-Production Fund, three from South Korea and two from Asia.
They include, from Mongolia, Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig‘s Yellow Coltand from Thailand, Lee Chatametikool‘s Concrete Clouds (pictured). The latter has now completed shooting and is expected to be completed by October.
The South Korean projects – from Seo Ho-bin, Lee Yu-bin and Kim Jae-han, a former assistant director of Hong Sang-soo – are described as “artistically ambitious and clearly focused”.
There are 14 recipients within the Asian Network of Documentary Fund, of which five are South Korean projects, including new films by established film-makers IM Heung-sun and Kim Tae-il.
Established Asian documentary film-makers with support for their new documentary projects include China‘s DU Haibin, Singapore‘s Tan Pin Pin and Japan‘s Nakamura Takayuki.
International
Russia-India cinematic spectacle Persimmon of My Love set for grand Moscow debut
Hindi cinema style musical revives Indo-Soviet cinema ties for today
MUMBAI: A new chapter in cross-border storytelling is set to unfold as Persimmon of My Love gears up for its premiere in Moscow on 1 April 2026, marking the first large-scale cinematic collaboration between Russia and India in decades.
Positioned as a modern nod to the cultural exchange that once brought Indian classics to Soviet audiences, the film blends Hindi cinema flair with Russian storytelling, aiming to rekindle a long-standing cinematic friendship.
Directed by Marius Weisberg, the musical comedy follows two brothers navigating a lively world of music, family and romance. The lead roles are played by Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan, with Karibidis also contributing as a screenwriter.
Shot entirely in India, the production leans heavily into Hindi cinema style spectacle. Filming took place across Mumbai studios and the cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur, whose architecture was used to create the fictional setting of Khurmada. A crew of over 350 worked on the project, with large-scale sequences featuring up to 1,000 extras.
The film also brings Indian creative talent into the mix. Dance sequences are choreographed by Jay Kumar, while music by Zurab Matua features songs in both Hindi and Russian, adding to its cross-cultural appeal.
Backed by TNT channel, MyWayStudio and the Russian Cinema Fund, the project reflects a broader push to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
With its mix of colour, comedy and cross-border collaboration, Persimmon of My Love is not just a film release but a reminder that cinema, much like music, travels well across borders.
