KOREAN CINEMA 2 0 0 7

committee of overseas film specialists will be formed, holding meetings among consultants
and specialists from key regions of the world (Americas, Europe and Asia.) Locale offices
at overseas will be established, first with the one in LA in 2007, followed by offices in
Japan, China and France by 2008. In addition, correspondents at three key regions, Tokyo,
Beijing and Paris, will be positioned to provide up-to-date information on film industry
of their prospective regions, along with a network of locale film specialists from 16 key
countries in operation.
Its major support programs are :
Filmmakers Development Lab
Support Program for Overseas Korean Film Festivals
- Japan: Korean Film Showcase
- U.S.A: A Program to Circulate Korean Films in North America
Managing KOFIC Office in LA
Support Program for Overseas Marketing
Building Overseas Networks
- Business R & D Campus
- Asia Film Professional Training Program
Publication of English-language Books on Korean Cinema
DVD Production & Distribution Support for Outstanding Korean Films
Subtitle Translation and Print Production Support Program
Support Program for Korean Filmmakers’ Participation at Global Festival Circuit
- International Producer’s Lab
Support Program for Hub Libraries for Korean Film Studies
3. Korean Film Research Center
By conducting all-around research and policy development on both the domestic and
international multimedia communities, KOFIC presents a policy vision for the bright
future of Korean films. The Korean Film Research Center was created by expanding its
existing Policy Research Department to take up on wider range of programs providing the
sources of vital information in the form of statistics, analysis, and publications for industry
professionals, press, the government, and the general public.
Korean Film Research Center collects statistics on the Korean film industry to examine its
changing nature, presents marketing strategy based on audiences’ viewing inclinations
and demands; plans the strategic foundation for export based on research on overseas
film industries and the current state of Korean films abroad; and implements a network of
KOFIC foreign correspondents to keep track of up-to-the minute trends in the fast-changing
world film community.
Korean Film Research Center also operates a committee to look into the effects and
necessary countermeasures for the merging of media groups, originating a new vision for
the film industry in a newly developing media-merging environment.
Its major support programs are
Designated Research Assignment Support Program
Support Program for New Researchers
Publication Support Program
Support Program for the Publication of Noteworthy Film Books
4. Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA)
KAFA was founded as an arm of KOFIC (then the Korean Motion Pictures Promotion
Corporation) in 1984, with the aim to train the human resources necessary to revive a
stagnant film industry, and to overcome the limitations of existing theory-based film
education by offering hands-on training programs.
Since its establishment, KAFA has grown influentially while producing the core talent that
has led the Korean film renaissance that has culminated in the past decade or so. Most of
the 365 graduates, including more than 60 feature film directors, are all presently working
actively in the film industry- in all aspects of the film industry, including the production and
technical areas, academia, and of course as feature-film directors, demonstrating KAFA’s
status and its vital role in the Korean film industry. With their extensive achievements,
KAFA has established a tradition as Korea’s premiere film school, and is aiming to cultivate
human resources for the global filmmaking arena as well.
5. KOFIC Studios
KOFIC post-production facilities in Seoul headquarters and the Studio Complex at
Namyangju are the largest film production facilities in Asia, offering a 30,000 pyong outdoor
set along with six indoor studios in various scales. The studio complex also offers stateof-the-art
recording studio, film processing laboratory, and digital visual effect suite among
other systems that create a central environment in Korean film production. All necessary
production facilities and equipments are provided for production purposes, from on-location
shoots to post-production process that often results in finest Korean films to date. Some
of Korea’s landmark films, from to and from to , all went through skillful hands and technology that KOFIC studios
and post-production facilities offer.
The KOFIC Studios was established in 1997 as the nation’s premiere center for filmmaking.
The 1.3 million m2 complex is made up of indoor and outdoor studios, production
equipment, visual special effects equipment, sound recording facilities, an extensive props
and costume collection, a film laboratory, as well as a film museum and visual education
center for tourists and aspiring filmmakers.
Digital Cinema Project
One of the most significant technological issues facing the Korean film industry is that
of digital cinema. KOFIC is working to promote digital cinema in Korea with the vision of
having more filmmakers being able to make a greater diversity of films, which in turn would
be able to screen to a greater number of diverse audiences.
Film Laboratory
KOFIC puts its best efforts into the strengthening of its post-production capacity while
securing international competitiveness of its media technology.
KOFIC’s film laboratory has been internationally recognized with a Kodak Image Care
Program certificate of excellence. The 1,500 m2 laboratory has a work capacity of 15 million
ft for features and 5 million ft for shorts per year. The KOFIC Film Lab, which opened on
June 24 th
1980, has been developing and printing over 50 million ft of film annually,
entrusted with approximately 30% of Korean films produced. The laboratory features
developing & processing lab, special effects printing room, color correction lab, telecine
room, film cleaning room, test lab and a screening room.
For more detailed information on KOFIC Support Programs,
please visit KOFIC website (www.kofic.or.kr/english)
12 13