eNews
Forum BIFF 2025 marks 30 years of K-Arts with big-picture rethink on Asian film education
BUSAN: The 30th Busan International Film Festival will stage a special Forum BIFF to mark the 30th anniversary of the Korea National University of Arts’ (K-Arts) school of film, TV & multimedia, with a hard look at how Asian film education can reinvent itself for the future.
Founded in 1995, K-Arts has been the launchpad for a generation of Korean and Asian filmmakers, building co-production bridges with Japan and China, running pan-Asian short-film labs, and powering the global surge of K-content. This year’s forum, themed Revisiting the path of Asian cinema, will spotlight those achievements while grappling with the future: how to sustain cross-border learning, plug into AI-driven change, and keep Asian schools at the cutting edge.
Sessions will examine collaborative short-film programmes, Korea-Japan and Korea-China co-productions, and the AMA+ scholarship that has seeded talent from across the region. The Campus Asia Plus initiative — linking Korea, Japan, China and Asean — will be in focus for its efforts to build an Asian animation education network that meshes advanced learning, exchange and industry tie-ups.
The three-part forum will run on 20 September, moderated by professors Choi Yongbae and Steve M. Choe of K-Arts. It will feature a keynote by cinema studies professor Kim Soyoung, presentations from animation professor Lee Jungmin, filmmaking professor Pyeon Jangwan, Cambodian director and AMA+ alumnus Him Sotithya, and producer Ahn Jihye. The closing panel will pull in film critic Lee Seunghee, Japan Institute of the Moving Image president Tengan Daisuke, Beijing Film Academy professor Liu Yu, Yale lecturer Tian Li, and Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak.
The conversation will stretch from the past three decades of K-Arts’ influence to the next thirty years of Asian cinema education — and what it will take to keep pace with technology and global demand.
BIFF 2025: 17–26 September
Asian Contents & Film Market: 20–23 September
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
