Preparing for Next Decade

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) celebrated its 10th anniversary with gala events last year. It has become one of the most influential and important film festivals in Asia in the past 10 years, but the festival director says they still have a long way to go.

"We've been running with just one destination in mind for the past 10 years, and the festival has grown as the most important Asian film festival and one of the more dynamic festivals in the world", Kim Dong-ho, director of PIFF, told The Korea Times. "But to survive in the world of a fierce competition, we believe we need to prepare for next 10 years".

Kim thinks just trying to maintain the status quo is meaningless and they should keep trying to develop the festival to survive in the fierce competition with other festivals.

As part of the preparation, the festival has come up with many changes and new plans. One of the most ambitious yet risky projects is the inaugural film market titled "Asian Film Market", which takes place for four days during the nine-day run festival.

"Other film festivals in Asia such as Hong Kong and Japan have already opened a film market, and we thought that we could lose our competitive edge without one", Kim said.

But even if they put a great emphasis on the success of the market, Kim said that the festival's own personality, which festival-goers have found unique and interesting, will not be changed or damaged.

"It's true a film market is a commercialized place. Maintaining a balance between a film festival and a market for festival-goers and people from the industry is quite difficult, but our main focus on Asian films and devotion to the development of the industry will be stronger", Kim said.

For the development of Asian films, the festival will support various projects such as the Asian Film Academy (AFA), which was launched last year as an educational program to help promising Asian filmmakers. Another is the Asian Network Documentary (AND), an inaugural project that plans to support the production of Asian documentaries with an AND Fund.

In the long-term, Kim thinks the completion of the PIFF Center, which will serve as the festival venue when it is finished in 2009 or 2010, will be another big turning point.

Kim turned 70 this year, which some people may think is time for retirement, but he is still as passionate and energetic as he was at the inauguration of the festival.

"For my health, I drink less and exercise more", Kim said with big smile on his face. "I want to do more groundwork for the foundation of the PIFF Center. And of course, I will find my successor. Then I want to have fun with the rest of my life".