By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
Colombia is participating as the Guest Country of Honour at the 42nd edition of the Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF), one of the most prestigious film events in Asia and a leading global platform for the exhibition and promotion of short films.
The festival, which started from April 24, will last until April 29, in Busan, Republic of Korea. This milestone marks the first time a Latin American country has been granted this distinction, offering a valuable opportunity to showcase Colombia as a top-tier film destination in Latin America and to foster cultural and audiovisual collaboration between Colombia and the Republic of Korea.
Under the theme “Cinema & Sound”, BISFF 2025 highlights the essential role of sound in cinematic storytelling and its ability to transform and enrich the audiovisual experience.
In this context, Colombia will present a selection of 17 short films divided into three categories: Colombia Panorama, Colombia Documentary, and Prism. This selection reflects the dynamic and innovative nature of Colombian filmmaking, showcasing a wide range of styles, themes, and narratives that go from intimate and experimental stories to documentaries exploring the country’s social, political, and cultural complexities, offering deep and sensitive perspectives on different realities.
As part of the festival’s opening ceremony, there will be a special artistic performance featuring traditional Colombian rhythms such as salsa, cumbia, and bambuco — a musical showcase that will bring Korean audiences closer to Colombia’s rich cultural and folkloric heritage.
In addition, on the first day of the festival, the roundtable “Film Industry of Colombia and Asia” will provide a space for dialogue and exchange between Colombian and Asian audiovisual industry representatives. This space will seek to explore opportunities for cooperation, foster strategic partnerships, and promote joint film productions.
On this occasion, the Ambassador of Colombia to the Republic of Korea, Alejandro Peláez Rodríguez, will present Colombia as an attractive and competitive destination for audiovisual content production, highlighting the country’s extraordinary potential, emphasizing not only its diverse and breathtaking natural locations, but also its solid infrastructure, creative talent, and the increasingly dynamic role of Colombia as a leader in the Latin American film industry.
Furthermore, the Ambassador will bring forward a central element of this strategy to attract international production: the robust system of financial incentives offered through the Fondo Fílmico Colombia (FFC).
This mechanism managed by Proimágenes Colombia and supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has become a key tool in positioning Colombia as an increasingly competitive destination for global audiovisual productions as long as the FFC provides generous cash rebates to international production companies that choose to film in Colombia by offering a 40% reimbursement on expenses related to audiovisual services (including production, post production, and technical services) and an additional 20% on costs associated with accommodation, food, and transportation within the country.
Beyond these benefits, the FFC allocates 70% of its resources to support the creation, production, and realization of feature films, short films, and documentaries, while the remaining 30% is dedicated to complementary activities such as preserving Colombia’s audiovisual heritage, supporting training programs, implementing anti-piracy measures, and boosting the international promotion of Colombian cinema.
In this context, the participation of Ambassador Alejandro Peláez Rodríguez at this round table of BISFF 2025 becomes a unique opportunity to promote Colombia’s creative potential and to reinforce its image as a diverse, innovative, and culturally rich country ready to welcome the world’s film industry.
Moreover, Colombia’s presence at BISFF 2025 will be further enriched by the participation of two important figures from the Colombian film industry as members of the international jury: Sergio Cabrera, the acclaimed filmmaker and current Colombian Ambassador to China, and Jaime E. Manrique, director of BOGOSHORTS, one of the most important short film festivals in Latin America.
Through its participation in BISFF 2025, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to promoting its cultural diversity, fostering artistic exchange, and positioning Colombian cinema as a powerful tool for social transformation and dialogue.
Additionally, this initiative reflects Colombia’s broader commitment to building sustainable peace protecting its biodiversity, ad promoting gender equity and diversity as values that continue to shape the country’s identity and presence in international cultural spaces.
