Two big names from Busan International Film Festival attend the 2nd Da Nang Asian Film Festival

The Second Da Nang Asian Film Festival, organized by the Vietnam Association for Cinema Promotion and Development in collaboration with the People's Committee and the Department of Culture and Sports of Da Nang City, will take place from July 2 to 7, 2024. The international guest list continues to welcome two famous figures of Korean cinema, namely former President Kim Dong-ho and new President Park Kwang-su of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

Mr. Kim Dong-ho – Former President of Busan International Film Festival

Kim Dong-ho – Former President of Busan International Film Festival is certainly no stranger to Korean and international film enthusiasts, as the former President born in 1937 is not only the founder of Busan International Film Festival, he is also a symbol of Korean cinema and a beloved and admired figure worldwide with a brilliant career in the film industry.

Mr. Kim Dong-ho – Former President of Busan International Film Festival

Kim Dong-ho graduated from the prestigious Seoul National University with a law degree. After graduating in 1960, he was assigned to various positions at the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) of South Korea, where he held several managerial positions.

Since 1988, he has been Chairman of the Korean Film Promotion Association (now the Korean Film Council - KOFIC), and later Chairman of the National Film Rating Board.

In 1993, he became Vice Minister of Culture and Director of the Korean Media Review Board. From 1996 to 2010, as President of the Busan International Film Festival, he made great contributions to bringing this event to the international level, attracting many high-quality domestic and foreign films to participate in screening and competition, creating conditions and discovering many world film talents. After retiring, he was for a time the honorary director of this film festival.

Kim Dong-ho's prolific career is also known as the former Chairman of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Development and the former President of the Seoul Arts Center.

Mr. Kim Dong-ho has won numerous international awards for both film and culture. He has been awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government; the prestigious UNESCO Fellini Medal (2007), which honors great figures in the film industry; and the Korean National Order of Cultural Merit, Silver Crown Award.

With a strong belief in the importance of education, Mr. Kim Dong-ho also founded the Dankook University Graduate School of Film Contents.

Kim Dong-ho has also worked as a producer for several critically acclaimed short films such as 10 Minutes (2014), End of Winter (2016) and The Seeds of Violence (2017). He has also published two books, "History of Korean Film Policy" (2005) and "Mr. Kim Goes to the Festival" (2010).

Mr. Park Kwang-su – New President of Busan International Film Festival

Park Kwang-su was born in Busan, South Korea, in 1955. He joined the Yallasung Film Group while he was a student of Fine Arts at Seoul National University. After graduating, he founded and headed the Seoul Film Group and became a leading figure in the Korean New Wave of cinema in the 1990s.

Mr. Park Kwang-su – New President of Busan International Film Festival

He studied film at the ESEC film school in Paris, then returned to Korea to work as an assistant director for veteran filmmaker Lee Chang-ho. He made his first film in 1988 and by 1993, he became the first Korean filmmaker to establish his own production company.

Park Kwang-su is considered one of the pioneers of the "New Korean Cinema" movement in the 90s. The films that made his name and received much praise from critics include: Chil-Su and Man-Su (1988), Black Republic (1990) and The Uprising (1995) or A Single Spark (1995) ... These are all typical works in the Korean New Wave, when they deeply described the reality of Korean society at that time. His works received many prestigious awards and nominations at home and abroad at the Blue Dragon Awards, Berlin International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, Three Continents Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival ...

Earlier this year, the Busan International Film Festival held its congress at the Busan Film Center and appointed former professor of the School of Film, Television and Multimedia at the Korea National University of Arts, Park Kwang-su, as its next president.

Park Kwang-su was also a founding member of the Busan International Film Festival and served as the festival's Vice Director for three consecutive years since its inception, and was instrumental in establishing Busan as Korea's film mecca. He was also the founding director of the Busan Film Commission, the first organization in Korea to support film production, and has played a key role in strengthening the content industry in Korea.

"To change a country's film industry requires the consensus of all parties: the government, the industry, and the public. For each individual filmmaker, the most important thing is sincerity, dedication to the path they have chosen, and not being afraid of difficulties" - Park Kwang-su.

Former President Kim Dong-ho and new President Park Kwang-su of Busan International Film Festival were not only guests of honor at the 2nd Danang Asian Film Festival, but were also invited by the Organizing Committee to be speakers at the Workshop "International Film Festivals in Coastal Cities, Successful Models, Lessons Learned from Organizational Experience, and Connection Opportunities for Danang City and DANAFF".

The workshop also had the participation of leading experts, such as Mr. Georges Goldenstern - former Director of the Cinefondation program of the Cannes International Film Festival, or Ms. Lorna Tee - producer and founder of AFAN, the Asian Cinema Network (TBC).

The workshop will raise many issues for discussion, focusing on how international film festivals in coastal cities are organized, operated, and maintain their influence on the film industry, creating brands for localities, regions, and countries; enriching people's spiritual lives, promoting tourism, economy, and cultural exchange. The workshop is scheduled to take place on July 3 within the framework of the 2nd Da Nang Asian Film Festival./.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/hai-nhan-vat-tam-co-cua-lien-hoa-phim-quoc-te-busan-tham-du-lien-hoa-phim-chau-a-da-nang-lan-ii-20240621212514472.htm