KOFIC awards marketing support for arthouse/digital films

The Korean Film Council has announced the recipients of the second phase of its 2006 Marketing Support for Arthouse and Digital Films fund. The fund provides financial support to arthouse works or digital features to promote diversity on the nation's screens and to help such films compete in a marketplace with increasingly stringent commercial demands.

In the case of arthouse films, 50 million won (~$54,000) will be provided to pay for advertising and other kinds of marketing costs, including the cost of striking prints for release. In Korea's competitive distribution environment, low-budget works face a particularly difficult struggle in getting noticed by viewers, and so this fund is intended to provide assistance in this area. A total of 11 features were submitted for consideration

In the case of feature-length digital films, 25 million won (~$27,000) will be provided towards the rental of a DLP digital projector, so that such works can be screened in their original format. In this manner, the distributor can avoid the cost of transferring a film from digital to a 35mm print. A total of 4 features were submitted for consideration.

The following films were chosen on the basis of their overall quality and their chance of securing a theatrical release.

Arthouse films:

"Pruning the Grapevine" (Enterpower), dir. Min Byeong-hoon
"A Shark", dir. Kim Dong-hyun
"Before The Summer Passes Away" (M&F), dir. Seong Ji-hye

Feature-length digital films:

"In Between Days" (With Cinema), dir. Kim So-yeong
"People Crossing" the River (documentary), dir. Kim Deok-cheol

The films were chosen by a five-member jury including distributor KIM Eun-kyung of Baekdu-daegan, distributor KIM Nam-sook of Dongsoong Art Hall, director Song Il-gon, film critic YU Woon-seong, and producer Lee Jin-sook (Bewitching Attraction).

This is the second and final round of marketing support for 2006. For more information, contact KOFIC's Domestic Support division.

Darcy Paquet (KOFIC)