Asia’s screen industries are entering a new phase of collaboration. The Asian Producers Alliance was officially launched at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) 2026, bringing together producer organizations from five key territories in a move that could reshape regional co-production, rights protection, and cross-border storytelling for film, TV, and digital video.
For producers navigating a fast-changing market defined by streaming disruption, short-form content, and rising competition for intellectual property, the new coalition signals a practical effort to build stronger industry ties across Asia rather than facing the same challenges in isolation.
What Is the Asian Producers Alliance?
The Asian Producers Alliance, or APA, is a new coalition formed by five independent producer bodies from Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Its founding members are:
- Producers Guild of Korea (PGK)
- Indonesian Film Producers Association (APROFI)
- Philippine Independent Producers Group (PIPG)
- Hong Kong Movie Production Executives Association (HKMPEA)
- Taiwan Producers Association (TPA)
Announced at ACFM in Busan, the alliance begins with a clear mandate: support regional and international co-productions, strengthen protection for creators’ intellectual property, and create a forum where producers can align on shared challenges. Over time, the group plans to evolve into a more formal consensus body with structured decision-making.
That ambition matters for the TV & Video sector, where production financing, distribution windows, and content ownership are becoming increasingly complex across borders.
Why the Asian Producers Alliance Matters Now
The launch of the Asian Producers Alliance comes at a moment when producers across Asia are facing many of the same pressures:
- Streaming platforms are changing commissioning models
- Short-form video is competing for audience attention
- Local industries are under pressure to scale internationally
- IP ownership and creator rights are becoming more valuable than ever
- Cross-border production partnerships are increasingly necessary for financing and reach
By forming a collective platform, the alliance gives producers a way to share resources, compare policy concerns, and pursue partnerships that can help Asian stories travel further. Instead of reacting market by market, members now have a framework for regional solidarity.
This could prove especially significant for independent producers, who often need strategic partners to package projects for larger audiences while retaining creative and commercial value.
Busan and ACFM as the Ideal Launchpad
The announcement took place at the close of a seminar titled Empowering Asian Cinema: Solidarity and Creative Alliance, hosted by PGK at the ACFM Producers Hub. The discussion focused on the current state of the industry and the expanding role of co-production in a landscape transformed by digital platforms.
Busan was a fitting location. The city’s ACFM event has long served as a major meeting point for producers, distributors, financiers, and content executives across Asia. Launching the Asian Producers Alliance there gives the coalition immediate visibility among the very stakeholders it hopes to connect.
Industry voices behind the launch
The panel surrounding the launch included prominent producer voices from across the region, reflecting the alliance’s emphasis on practical collaboration rather than symbolic unity. Founding representatives described APA as a working platform designed to help producers connect, share expertise, and build sustainable pathways for co-production.
The message from the stage was consistent: Asian producers have been facing parallel industry shifts separately for years, and a joint response is now overdue.
Leadership Structure and Next Steps
The Asian Producers Alliance has already outlined its initial leadership and meeting structure. Its inaugural team includes:
- Lee Dong-ha, President of PGK, as Co-Representative
- Edwin Nazir, Chairman of APROFI, as Co-Representative
- Han Jin and Yulia Evina Bhara as Co-Secretary Generals
These leadership roles will run on one-year terms and be elected annually at the General Assembly held during ACFM in Busan.
The group also plans to hold:
- Quarterly online meetings
- An annual General Assembly during ACFM
- Expanded outreach to other producer bodies across Asia
Notably, the alliance is not limiting membership to a single organization per territory, a sign that it wants to remain open, flexible, and representative as it grows.
Creators’ IP and Co-Production Are at the Core
Two themes sit at the center of the Asian Producers Alliance: co-production and creators’ IP. Both are increasingly critical in today’s content economy.
Why co-production is becoming essential
Co-productions can unlock multiple advantages for TV and film producers, including:
- Shared financing and lower production risk
- Access to wider distribution networks
- Stronger market entry across territories
- Creative partnerships that reflect regional diversity
- Greater scale for premium scripted and unscripted projects
For Asian producers, this could lead to more ambitious storytelling that is locally grounded but internationally viable.
Why IP protection is a strategic priority
As content libraries grow in value and adaptation rights become more competitive, protecting intellectual property is no longer a secondary legal concern. It is central to long-term business sustainability. The alliance’s next gathering, set for the JAFF Market in Yogyakarta this December, will focus specifically on creators’ IP, underlining how urgent that issue has become.
That focus could eventually influence best practices around rights ownership, licensing structures, and creator safeguards across multiple Asian markets.
What This Means for the Future of Asian TV & Video
The creation of the Asian Producers Alliance could become a meaningful turning point for the region’s screen sector. While still in its early stages, APA has the potential to strengthen Asia’s production ecosystem by making collaboration more organized, more visible, and more strategic.
If the alliance succeeds, it may help independent producers develop stronger negotiating power, foster better regional partnerships, and create pathways for stories to move beyond domestic borders without losing their cultural specificity.
For executives, creatives, and production companies watching the evolution of Asian media, this is more than an organizational launch. It is an attempt to build a shared infrastructure for the future of screen storytelling in the region.
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Conclusion
The Asian Producers Alliance enters the market with a timely mission: unite producers across Asia, encourage co-productions, and defend the value of creators’ IP in a rapidly evolving media landscape. If it can turn shared intent into lasting action, the alliance could become one of the most important new frameworks for regional collaboration in film, television, and digital content. For the wider Tv & Video industry, that makes this a development well worth tracking.
