http://www.cinema-poet.com

Interview with Kim Dong Ho,Director, Pusan International
Film Festival conducted by Film Critic Lalit Rao

Pusan International Film Festival is an enchanting window to the magnificent world of Asian cinema.In a short span of 9 years,it has become one of the most important film festivals in Asia.Its soaring popularity can be judged from the fact that leading film festival directors as well as programmers from all over the world,make it a point to attend its numerous screenings in order to select best Asian films for their own festivals.The festival has attained worldwide popularity thanks to the indefatigable efforts of its founder director Mr.Kim Dong Ho who has been associated with this event ever since its inception in 1996.Mr.Kim Dong Ho is a true champion of Asian cinema.He believes that Asian cinema especially young Asian filmmakers must be promoted globally. Mr.Kim Dong Ho attends major international film festivals in order to showcase best of world cinema for south Korean cinephiles.Many Asian filmmakers have profited enormously from Mr.Kim Dong Ho’s initiatives within the framework of Pusan International Film Festival.During his tenure as director of Pusan International Film Festival,a fim production fund called Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) was initiated.Its beneficiaries include prominents Asian filmmakers like Fruit Chan,Garin Nugroho,Nguyen Vo Minh,Shunji Iwai,Junji Sakamoto,Darejan Omirbayev, Aktan Abdykalikov etc.Young Asian filmmakers are indebted to Mr.Kim Dong Ho as he has been instrumental in the establishment of “Asian Film Academy”.The setting up of this institution is one of Mr.Kim Dong Ho’s gifts to Asian cinema.

A soft spoken gentleman,Mr.Kim Dong Ho spoke to Lalit Rao in New Delhi,India where he attended 7th Osian Cinefan Asian Film Festival 2005

Lalit Rao:Your festival Pusan International Film Festival was launched in 1996.Under what circumstances was this festival created.What were the reasons for starting Pusan International Film festival?

Kim Dong Ho:In 1995 3 professors in Pusan asked me to prepare and establish an International Film Festival in Pusan.Before starting Pusan International Film Festival several seminars and meetings were organised as part of preparations to establish an International Film Festival in Pusan.I was also involved in the preparations of a new International film festival in Pusan.

Lalit Rao:What was your role in Pusan International Film festival.What were your functions ? .In what capacity were your working at that time ?

Kim Dong Ho:As Pusan International Film Festival is a festival that has been established in an Asian region,we planned to focus on Asian films especially to discover new promising Asian films and directors.We wanted to introduce these filmmakers abroad.We would like to support film making in Asian countries.It is with this view in mind that we launched Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) from the 3rd edition Pusan International Film festival 1999.It was a great success.The reason why Pusan International Film Festival has grown bigger and bigger during a short period of time is that we have a very appropriate strategy.We have received tremendous support for our programmes as well as projects.

Lalit Rao:When you started Pusan International Film Festival in 1995,south Korean cinema was not getting too much of success in South korea as there were too many American films being shown in South korea.How did your festival fight the dominance of American cinema in South korea ?

Kim Dong Ho:There are 2 factors which helped us fight the dominance of American cinema in South Korea.Firstly,we had a screen quota system in South Korea.According to this system the owner of a cinema has to screen south Korean films for a period of 146 days in a year.Thanks to this screen quota system south Korean films were able to achieve tremendous success at box office as it was mandatory for them to be shown for 146 days.Thus we can say that screen quota system contributed enormously to promote South Korean cinema.Secondly since 1980s numerous young film directors who studied abroad as well as at various universities in South Korea began influencing south Korean cinema.They began making films,distributing films.The young generation of Korean filmmakers made films of diverses kinds,different genres.This helped us to tackle the control of American cinema in south Korea .

Lalit Rao:You spoke of Pusan Promotion Plan.Is it meant only for south Korean films ? Can Asian films benefit from it ?

Kim Dong Ho:Usually we select 23 Asian projects including 2-3 south Korean film projects.So most of the films which profit from Pusan Promotion Plan are Asian films.

Lalit Rao:Could you please give some examples of Asian films which have benefited from Pusan Promotion Plan ?

Kim Dong Ho:I can mention “The Circle” directed by Iranian cineaste Jafar Panahi.It was shown in 2000 during 5th Pusan International Film Festival.This film won the best film award at Venice Film Festival 2000.“Beijing Bicycle” by Wang Xiaoshuai also received funds from Pusan Promotion Plan.This film was awarded jury grand prix award as well as new talents award at 2001 Berlin International Film Festival.This year 2005 “Three Times” by Hou Hsiao Hsien was selected in the competition section of Cannes Film Festival 2005.

Lalit Rao:Your festival is one of the leading film festivals in South Korea.Apart from Pusan International Film Festival,there are other film festivals in south Korea like Jeonju International Film festival and Pifan film festival.How different is your festival from these festivals ?

Kim Dong Ho:In general Pusan International Film Festival invites best,quality films from all over the world.Puchon film festival is a fantastic film festival.This festival shows films belonging to fantastic genre.Jeonju film festival is an alternative film festival.It usually screens many digital as well as independent films.That is the difference between these festivals and Pusan International Film Festival.

Lalit Rao:Could you please tell us more about the film market at Pusan International Film Festival.How does this market conduct its business ?

Kim Dong Ho:3 years ago we established a small Asian film market.Last year we invited around 30 film distribution companies from various Asian countries to participate in this market.We would like to enlarge the scale of Asian film market at this year’s Pusan International Film Festival (October 6-14,2005).

Lalit Rao:These days south Korean cinema is doing extremely well on international level.South Korean directors like Hong Sang Soo,Park Chan Wook and Kim Ki Duk are achieving tremendous success at various international film festivals.How have these directors responded to Pusan International Film Destival.Has Pusan International film festival shown their films ? What is the response to south Korean cinema which is gaining international success at Pusan film festival ?

Kim Dong Ho:Most of Kim Ki Duk’s films have been shown at Pusan International film festival as world premieres.He has made some of his films through Pusan Promotion Plan.Pusan International film festival has discovered many promising south Korean directors especially Lee Chang Dong.His film “Peppermint Candy” was the opening film at 4th Pusan Film Festival,1999.

Lalit Rao:Every film festival strives to achieve success.You cannot achieve success without the support of national government.What kind of help has Pusan Film Festival received from south Korean government especially from ministry of culture ?

Kim Dong Ho:The new government has been helpful from the the beginning.Lee Chang Dong was appointed as minister of culture.It is rather sad that he worked for only 1.5 years.He resigned regrettably so early.I guess he wanted to help not only south Korean film Industry but also other cultural fields in south Korea.Thus it is difficult to say what has been government’s contribution to south Korean film industry.

Lalit Rao:At Pusan International Film Festival international guests get a chance to watch latest south Korean films.How does Pusan International Film festival help Korean audience to know more about the current trends in world cinema ?

Kim Dong Ho:The main purpose of Pusan film festival is to introduce south Korean films abroad.Our contribution in that regard is much more significant than that of other film festivals.Before the launch of Pusan International Film Festival only 3 south Korean films were shown at Cannes film festival,during its 50 years old history.After the establishment of Pusan International film festival,Cannes film festival director and directors of various sections came to Pusan in order to select south Korean films for their festival.In 1998 4,5 south Korean films were shown at Cannes film festival.Last year there were 6 south Korean films at Cannes 2004

Lalit Rao:It is true that Pusan International film festival helps to promote Asian cinema.There are however certain Asian countries like Iraq,Afghanistan etc.whose films have not yet achieved global recognition.What is Pusan film festival’s course of action in order to reveal these relatively lesser known film industries ?

Kim Dong Ho:From the outset our primary objective is to reveal new Asian directors.We wish to introduce their films abroad especially in European countries. Every year we show about 100 Asian films at Pusan International Film Festival.Most of the European film festival directors as well as programmers attend Pusan International film festival in order to select Asian Films for their festivals.

Lalit Rao:As the director of Pusan Film Festival,do you have complete freedom ? Do you always get a chance to choose the films you wish to show,organize the programmes you want to showcase at your festival ?

Kim Dong Ho:As the director of Pusan film festival,I have enjoyed complete freedom ever since its creation.In 1996 when the 1st edition of Pusan film festival was launched, there was still a censorship system in south Korea.We asked government not to create any cenorship problems for the films chosen for the festival.Since then we don’t have censorship problems for the films which have been chosen to participate in Pusan International film festival.

Lalit Rao:Do Asian films awarded at Pusan film festival get a commercial release in south Korea ?

KDH:One of the biggest production and distribution companies in south Korea “CJ entertainment” selected 5 non commercial Asian films for commercial distribution.This company purchased rights to broadcast and distribute these films for south korea’s domestic market.

Lalit Rao:Do television and other cultural bodies in south Korea play any role in the production of films ?

Kim Dong Ho:No,we don’t have that system in South Korea.One can find this system in France and also in Germany where television helps out in the production of films.

Lalit Rao:Could you please tell us more about Pusan Film Festival’s audience.What kind of audience do you have at Pusan Film Festival ? Are these viewers film buffs ?

Kim Dong Ho:80 % of our audience at Pusan film festival is in their teens and in their 20s.In a way,we can say that we have a very young audience for our festival.

Lalit Rao:Please tell us more about the competition section at your festival.How many films do you select ?

Kim Dong Ho:At Pusan International film festival there is only 1 competition section.This is meant for those new young Asian directors who present their 1st or 2nd films.For this competition section we select only 11 films.Sometimes we select 13 films including 1 or 2 films from south Korea.

Lalit Rao:The 1st edition of Pusan film festival was organised in 1996.Last year we saw the organization of its 9th edition.Do you think that over the years Pusan International film festival has grown bigger and bigger ? Are there things still to be achieved by Pusan International film festival ?

Kim Dong Ho:I guess we are trying to improve more and more.I am not sure of the future,but we are trying our best.

Lalit:What would be the highlights of the 10th edition of Pusan International Film Festival (6-14 October,2005)

Kim Dong Ho:We would be showing 30 masterpieces of Asian cinema.There would also be a retrospective of late Lee Man-Hi’s films.We would also have a focus on British films.

Lalit Rao:British films-Ken Loach,Mike Leigh ?

Kim Dong Ho:Yeah Yeah !!

Lalit Rao:Thank you very much for having given us a chance to speak to you !

Kim Dong Ho:Thank you.

Home Contact Us Call for articles Editorial Contributors

Advisory Board Articles in English Team cinema-poet

contact@cinema-poet.com

© Cinema-Poet Media Group, 2008-2013 Copyright this business.

All rights reserved. Hosted by Yahoo!