A New Dawn for Women in Business and Cinema
July 1, 2026, marks a significant moment for women entrepreneurs worldwide. In Seoul, the 5th Women Entrepreneurs Week opened with a powerful message: technology is the great equaliser, and women are leading the charge. In Vietnam, a female executive is steering her nation's film industry toward unprecedented heights. And across the globe, women are founding AI-driven media startups, securing millions in funding, and reshaping the cinematic landscape.
This is not a story about token representation. It is a story about systemic change—about women who are not waiting for seats at the table but are building entirely new tables, powered by artificial intelligence, innovative business models, and an unwavering commitment to storytelling that reflects the full spectrum of human experience.
Korea's Women Entrepreneurs Week: Where Technology Meets Empathy
At The Shilla Seoul, over 500 women entrepreneurs, government officials, and industry leaders gathered for the opening ceremony of the 5th Women Entrepreneurs Week. Under the slogan "Women Entrepreneurs Growing through Technology and Connecting through Sensibility," the event showcased how women-led businesses are leveraging cutting-edge technologies to solve real-world problems.
The opening ceremony began with a fittingly futuristic touch: a welcome address from "Eternity," the world's first AI idol developed by women-led startup Pulse9. It was a powerful symbol of how women are not just adopting technology but creating it—and creating culture around it.
Park Chang-sook, president of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association, delivered an opening address that set the tone for the week: "What matters is not the speed of technology, but for whom and how we use it—and the answer lies with women entrepreneurs" . She emphasised that women entrepreneurs delicately capture everyday inconveniences and the currents of the times, solving these issues through technologies like AI.
The highlight of the ceremony was a series of "W-Insight Speeches" from women entrepreneurs who have pioneered new markets through innovative technologies.
Shin Hyun-jin, CEO of Hudson AI, a company specialising in AI-based multilingual dubbing solutions, demonstrated how her technology is breaking down language barriers in the content industry. In an era when K-content is conquering global audiences, Hudson AI's solutions enable Korean films and series to reach viewers in dozens of languages without the traditional costs and delays of human dubbing. Shin's presentation was a masterclass in how technology can transform a creative industry—making content more accessible, more scalable, and more profitable.
Kim Hye-wi (also referred to as Kim Hyo-yi), CEO of femtech company Innersia, shared how her firm achieved annual sales of 19.4 billion Korean won (approximately $15 million) within just three years of founding. Innersia developed sanitary pads with plant-based patented absorbent materials, addressing a fundamental women's health need with innovative technology. Kim emphasised that "women's experiences can become new opportunities in future industries like femtech" . Her success story is a powerful reminder that the problems women face are not niche concerns—they are billion-dollar business opportunities waiting for the right solution.
The government also recognised outstanding contributions from women entrepreneurs. Kim Yeon-seon, CEO of Daehan O-K Steel, received the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for her 47 years of contribution to the steel industry, expanding regional manufacturing bases and creating quality jobs. Nam Mi-kyung, CEO of agricultural corporation Han Mandu Food, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for creating new demand in the frozen dumpling market with differentiated products like galbi mandu and squid mandu.
The presence of Samsung Electronics President Park Sung-hee at the event signalled the growing collaboration between Korea's largest corporations and women-led businesses. As a large enterprise commissioner of the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership, Samsung has expanded collaborative programs, including smart factory support for partner companies. With President Park's attendance, attention is turning to whether Samsung will broaden cooperation with women-led businesses and strengthen a co-growth ecosystem.
Vietnam's Cinematic Revolution: A Woman at the Helm
While Korea celebrated its women entrepreneurs, Vietnam was making headlines of its own. The country's film industry has undergone a remarkable transformation, and at the centre of it is Dinh Thanh Huong, Executive Chair of Galaxy Studio and CEO of Galaxy Entertainment Holding.
Speaking at the inaugural DANAFF Industry Days in Danang, Dinh revealed staggering numbers: Vietnamese films captured a 70.6% share of the domestic box office in the first five months of 2026. This represents a dramatic surge from 62.2% in all of 2025 and a remarkable leap from just 42.6% in 2023.
The numbers tell a story of exponential growth. In 2025, the Vietnamese box office generated gross revenue exceeding $215 million—a 22.5% year-on-year increase—on sales of more than 70 million tickets (approximately Rp 3.82 trillion). Productivity has soared as well: 47 local films were released in 2025, up significantly from just 26 in 2024.
Dinh attributed this surge to several factors. First, a generational shift: approximately 69% of Vietnamese moviegoers are Gen Z, a digitally native audience that consumes content differently from previous generations. Second, digital adoption: 72.8% of tickets are now purchased through digital platforms, reflecting the increasing integration of technology into the cinema experience. Third, and perhaps most significantly, rising production budgets: if large-scale Vietnamese films cost between VND40-50 billion ($1.52-1.9 million) in 2023, today's ambitious productions range from VND100-130 billion ($3.8-4.9 million) and above.
Dinh projected that Vietnamese film productivity will continue to climb, reaching 80 film titles by 2027. Combined production, distribution, and marketing budgets are expected to surpass VND89 billion per film. She also emphasised the importance of genre diversification—the market has moved beyond its historical dependence on comedies and family dramas.
But Dinh's vision extends beyond domestic success. She outlined five areas for international collaboration: co-production, financial investment, distribution and marketing, technology and innovation, and IP development. Her message to the global film community was clear: Vietnam is no longer an emerging market—it is a mature cinematic force ready for partnership.
"Cinema is not just a business," Dinh has been quoted as saying. "Cinema is how a nation tells its own story" .
The AI Frontier: Women Founders Reshaping Filmmaking
Beyond the boardrooms of Seoul and the cinemas of Vietnam, a third story is unfolding—one that may ultimately prove the most transformative of all. Women founders are building AI-native companies that are fundamentally changing how films are made.
Zoey Zhang, co-founder of Flick, recently raised a $6 million seed round for her AI-native filmmaking platform. Zhang, a filmmaker herself, began using AI to make movies and it changed her career trajectory. In February 2025, she participated in the MIT AI Film Hack, where she created her first AI short film and won the Best Visual Award. Since then, her AI films have been nominated and awarded at more than 30 international film festivals. Flick, co-founded with her husband Ray Wang, is built for creators who care about aesthetics, control, and creative flexibility. It represents a new paradigm: AI not as a replacement for human creativity but as a collaborator that expands what is possible.
In India, actor Bhumi Pednekar has revealed her startup Maya, an AI-led media venture blending live action with AI. Pednekar founded Maya with bigger ambitions to build a globally relevant Indian animation ecosystem. She described it as a media agency that blends AI with live action, positioning India as a player in the global AI content revolution.
Amita Madhvani, known for producing women-driven projects like Neerja and Aarya, has ventured into AI storytelling with the microseries Mohini: Khud Se Pyaar. Her foray into AI represents a broader trend: established female producers are embracing generative AI not as a threat but as a tool to tell more stories, more efficiently, and with greater creative control.
India has also seen the emergence of the "Her Lens: AI Filmmaking Scholarship for Women," described as India's first AI filmmaking scholarship exclusively for female students. Designed for female college students, the initiative seeks to blend cinematic storytelling with artificial intelligence, ensuring that the next generation of women filmmakers is equipped with the skills to lead in an AI-driven industry.
The Data Behind the Stories: Women in the AI Ecosystem
One of the most compelling stories about women and AI in cinema comes not from the boardroom or the director's chair, but from the data labelling rooms where AI models are trained. The Hindi-Kurukh feature film Humans in the Loop, set in Jharkhand, tells the story of indigenous women training AI to identify living and non-living things. As filmmaker Aranya Sahay noted: "The film is not just about AI. It's about the people behind AI, especially women who remain invisible in this ecosystem" .
The film's global recognition, including the prestigious Film Independent Sloan Distribution Grant, has brought attention to the hidden labour force that powers AI. It is a powerful reminder that the AI revolution is not just about algorithms—it is about the human beings, often women, who make those algorithms work.
The Creative Enterprise Programme: Institutional Support for Women Founders
In the United Kingdom, Creative Enterprise, part of Creative UK, has announced the return of its Female Founders Programme for 2026. The programme is designed to support women-led businesses across the screen industries, providing mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities. Applications are now open to eligible businesses based in England.
Similarly, the European Film Market's EFM Startups for 2026 brings together a curated cohort of 12 startups, with strong European representation and meaningful participation from female founders. These institutional programmes signal a growing recognition that women-led startups are not a niche—they are central to the future of the film industry.
What This Means for the Future
The convergence of women, technology, and cinema is not a trend—it is a transformation. The stories from Korea, Vietnam, India, the UK, and beyond share common threads:
Women are building technology-first businesses. From Hudson AI's dubbing solutions to Innersia's femtech innovations to Flick's AI-native filmmaking platform, women are not just using technology—they are creating it.
Women are leading national cinematic revivals. Dinh Thanh Huong's leadership at Galaxy Studio has helped Vietnamese cinema achieve a 70% domestic market share, proving that female executives can drive commercial success on a massive scale.
Women are ensuring that the AI revolution is inclusive. Through scholarships like "Her Lens," films like Humans in the Loop, and startups like Maya, women are ensuring that the stories told by and about women are not lost in the AI shuffle.
Institutions are taking notice. From Samsung's partnership with women-led businesses to Creative UK's Female Founders Programme to EFM's startup cohort, the institutional ecosystem is evolving to support women entrepreneurs.
Conclusion: A Future Written by Women
As the 5th Women Entrepreneurs Week continues through July 7, and as Vietnamese cinema celebrates its historic market share, and as women founders around the world raise millions for AI-native ventures, one thing is clear: the future of cinema, business, and technology is being written by women.
Park Chang-sook captured the moment perfectly: "Women entrepreneurs delicately capture everyday inconveniences and the currents of the times, solving these issues through technologies like AI" . They are not waiting for permission. They are not asking for a seat at the table. They are building new tables, new technologies, and new stories—and the world is watching.
The silver screen has always been a mirror of society. Today, that mirror reflects a world where women are not just stars on screen but the architects behind the camera, the founders behind the technology, and the leaders shaping the business. And that is a story worth telling.
