MANILA, PHILIPPINES, APRIL 14, 2021 — The Philippines has renewed its term for another two years at the Asian Film Commissions Network (AFCNet) Board of Directors composed of eight countries.

The AFCNet, a network of film commissions and professional film support agencies throughout Asia, is the region’s first film-related non-profit international organization. 

It advocates regional filming in Asia by streamlining information on filming locations, incentives, requirements, and regulations in the region and supporting member organizations in their international co-productions. As of January, the AFCNet has 54 members from 19 countries. 

In 2019, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño was nominated to the AFCNet Board for the first time. After completing her two-year term, Diño was nominated in January to remain on the Board until 2022.

“I am humbled and honored to renew my term as a member of the AFCNet Board of Directors. Forging collaborations among film commissions provides more opportunities for Asian filmmakers in content creation, co-production, distribution, and exhibition,” commented Diño.

Among the AFCNet events are the AFCNet General Assembly, AFCNet Board Meeting, AFCNet Networking Hour, AFCNet Producer of the Year Award Ceremony, LoMA (Asia Location Market), ASEAN-ROK (Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Republic of Korea) Film Leaders Incubator (FLY), and  Link of Cine-Asia (Asian Film Forum & Business Showcase).

The FLY Film Lab, an AFCNet-supported project development program run by the Busan Film Commission, was held in 2019 in Cebu in partnership with the FDCP. It provided mentoring on the scripts of 10 selected filmmakers from ASEAN-ROK member states and held lectures for participants and limited registrants.

“I am looking forward to more milestones in Asian Cinema through the AFCNet,” added Diño, who is also a collaborator in Best Practice Exchange (BPX), an initiative that gathers film agency heads from around the globe to brainstorm on best practices in public funding for filmmaking.

As a member of the AFCNet Board of Directors, Diño aspires to propose initiatives that can activate more multilateral cooperation among the Asian countries themselves through co-production, support in talent and skills development and sharing of best practices among the members of the network.

Joining the FDCP in the Board of Directors are the Busan Film Commission from South Korea, Taipei Film Commission from Taiwan, Ministry of Communications & Multimedia (FINAS) from Malaysia, Cambodia Film Commission, Primorye Film Commission from Russia, Royal Film Commission of Jordan, and Icefall Productions from Nepal. 

The AFCNet General Assembly in 2019

The other AFCNet regular members are the following:

• Film Development Board of Nepal
• National Film Commission of Bhutan
• Taichung Film Development Foundation of Taiwan
• Mongolian National Film Commission
• Thailand Film Office
• Bali Film Center 
• Film Development Center of Indonesia
• Screen Auckland of New Zealand
• Myanmar Motion Pictures Development Department
• Vietnam Cinema Department
• Uzbekistan National Film Commission
• Korea Film Commissions & Industry Network
• Cheongpung Film Commission
• Daejeon Film Commission
• Gangwon Film Commission
• Geoje City
• Gyeonggi Film Commission
• Chungnam Film Commission
• Incheon Film Commission
• Jeju Film & Culture Industry Promotion Agency
• Jeonju Film Commission
• Jeonnam Film Commission
• Seoul Film Commission
• Kangwon Information & Culture Agency
• Japan Film Commission
• Fukuoka Film Commission
• Himeji Film Commission
• Hiroshima Film Commission
• Kitakyushu Film Commission
• Kobe Film Office
• Nagasaki Film & Media Commission
• Oita City Location Office
• OCVB Okinawa Film Office
• Saga Film Commission
• Tokyo Film Commission

Aside from Nepal’s Icefall Productions, the following are the AFCNet associate members:

• Vietnam Association of Film Promotion and Development
• Throne Inc. from Japan
• Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival from China
• EN Films from Singapore
• Digital Content Connection Sdn Bhd from Malaysia
• Greenlight Films from Thailand 
• Indochina Productions from Thailand
• Korea Media Tourism Research Center
• The K media from South Korea
• Kinemafactory from South Korea
• SM9 SkyTech from South Korea