Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Feb 7, 2015 20:11:31 GMT -6
variety.com/2015/film/news/berlin-low-profile-kim-sea-hoon-pledges-to-boost-south-korean-industry-1201425679/
Low-Profile Kim Sea-hoon Pledges to Boost South Korean Industry
Kim Sae-hoon was appointed as the new chairman of the Korean Film Council on Dec. 31, and that should have come as a relief to the industry after the regulatory body had remained without a head for almost nine months since the departure of Kim Eui-suk.
But as soon as Kim’s appointment was announced, it became clear his was a controversial appointment.
“We need a capable and experienced leader who can communicate with filmmakers and serve for the film industry,” said the Korean Film Directors’ Society and the Korea Scenario Writers’ Assn. in a joint statement.
Lee Sang-woo, general manager of KFDS, was equally guarded. “Though we are still concerned that the new chairman is from the animation industry and has almost no hands-on experience in the film industry, we hope the new chairman does his work well.”
The problem seems to be that Kim is not from the industry mainstream. Best known as an academic, teaching in the animation department at Sejong U., Kim has directed and produced a few short animated pieces. His career before academia includes service as a committee member of Kofic as well as the Institute for the Future of State, a think-tank run by South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
While expected to settle a few pending issues such as the sale of the Kofic-owned Namyangju Studios, Kim says that he will also tackle industry concerns, including achieving a fair competition environment.
“I will put the globalization of Korean cinema on the front burner, revitalizing the export of Korean films abroad,” he says.
That should cheer the film industry if he can pull it off. Korean movies lag behind the export success of the country’s TV dramas and its K-pop music phenomenon.
Low-Profile Kim Sea-hoon Pledges to Boost South Korean Industry
Kim Sae-hoon was appointed as the new chairman of the Korean Film Council on Dec. 31, and that should have come as a relief to the industry after the regulatory body had remained without a head for almost nine months since the departure of Kim Eui-suk.
But as soon as Kim’s appointment was announced, it became clear his was a controversial appointment.
“We need a capable and experienced leader who can communicate with filmmakers and serve for the film industry,” said the Korean Film Directors’ Society and the Korea Scenario Writers’ Assn. in a joint statement.
Lee Sang-woo, general manager of KFDS, was equally guarded. “Though we are still concerned that the new chairman is from the animation industry and has almost no hands-on experience in the film industry, we hope the new chairman does his work well.”
The problem seems to be that Kim is not from the industry mainstream. Best known as an academic, teaching in the animation department at Sejong U., Kim has directed and produced a few short animated pieces. His career before academia includes service as a committee member of Kofic as well as the Institute for the Future of State, a think-tank run by South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
While expected to settle a few pending issues such as the sale of the Kofic-owned Namyangju Studios, Kim says that he will also tackle industry concerns, including achieving a fair competition environment.
“I will put the globalization of Korean cinema on the front burner, revitalizing the export of Korean films abroad,” he says.
That should cheer the film industry if he can pull it off. Korean movies lag behind the export success of the country’s TV dramas and its K-pop music phenomenon.