Criticism Over the Closure of the Peace Film Festival Due to Funding Cuts
"Who Can't Run a Project with Subsidy Support?"
"It is unfair for one organization to receive about twice the support given to artists in Gangwon Province." Governor Kim Jin-tae of Gangwon made a critical remark regarding the Pyeongchang International Peace Film Festival, which will be discontinued after this year. At a briefing held at the Gangwon Provincial Office on the 29th, he stated, "The media and others seem to be stirring anxiety by suggesting that cultural arts are shrinking due to (financial) austerity," and added, "There is a need for efforts to independently revive it first."
The Pyeongchang Film Festival started in 2019, inheriting the spirit of peace from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Filmmakers such as Chairman Moon Sung-geun and Executive Director Bang Eun-jin took the lead in managing it. This year, it was held with support of 1.8 billion won from Gangwon Province and 300 million won from Pyeongchang County, respectively. However, after Gangwon Province notified on the 23rd that it would stop budget support for next year, the festival decided to discontinue just two days later. Gangwon Province plans to shift its support direction from allocating a large budget to the film festival to strengthening welfare for cultural artists that directly impacts residents in smaller but more tangible ways.
Governor Kim said, "They said it is difficult to continue subsidies as before, but it seems they are voluntarily shutting down the project," and questioned, "Who would be unable to carry out a project after receiving subsidies?" He emphasized, "We need to think about surviving freely in the cultural market by demonstrating creativity," and added, "There is a need for efforts to independently revive it first."
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