Dongseo University Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts: "Local Universities in Crisis? We See It as a Chance to Bloom New Flowers, Not a 'Cherry Blossom Ending'"

College of Film, Acting, and Musical Producing Feature Films

"Actors and Directors Who Rose to Fame in Dramas and Movies Are Graduates Here"

Dongseo University Centum Campus.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] It is an era where people worry that "universities go bankrupt in the order of cherry blossoms blooming." The school-age population is decreasing due to a decline in birth rates, and even high school students prefer to go to Seoul and the metropolitan area rather than their local regions to study. Ultimately, there are no students to fill the quotas of local universities.

It is a crisis era where universities must worry about their "cherry blossom ending." However, there is a non-metropolitan art university that is bursting into bloom, viewing the crisis as an opportunity.

The protagonist is the urban-type art university located at Dongseo University Centum Campus in Haeundae, Busan, the "Dongseo University Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts."

The Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts was established to nurture cultural and artistic talents who inherit the artistic spirit and passion of film director Im Kwon-taek.

Since relocating to the Centum Campus in 2013, the college has combined the departments of Film, Acting, and Musical into one art college, focusing on discovering specialized and unique artistic talents.

The fields most severely impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic have been performing arts and film.

People have been reluctant to meet and gather, reducing the frequency of watching performances together, and numerous films shot before COVID-19 are still waiting to be released in theaters.

The university stated, "Dongseo University Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts is embracing this era of crisis as an era of opportunity."

Director Jeong Ji-hye, an alumna of Dongseo University, won the Grand Prize in the Korean Competition section at the Jeonju International Film Festival for her film "Jeongsoon."

The Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts has secured a faculty consisting of Im Kwon-taek as a distinguished professor, along with active directors, producers, writers, and actors currently working in the field.

Most cultural and artistic infrastructure is concentrated in Seoul, but the faculty, who are actively working professionals, accurately grasp trends that might otherwise become distant and convey them to students while conducting joint research.

The university also possesses excellent infrastructure, including the latest equipment, facilities, and location. For example, the Film Department uses the latest equipment identical to what is used on site, allowing students to study and become immediately deployable talents in the field.

Additionally, students can produce performances without restrictions and gain field experience by meeting audiences in theater facilities such as the 1,000-seat Sohyang Theater, the 300-seat Sohyang Experimental Theater, and the 200-seat Minseok Small Theater owned by the university.

The university views the current era as a timely background for content and talent development utilizing such faculty and infrastructure.

The emergence of new media such as short-form content due to COVID-19 has eliminated the need for the performing arts industry to be concentrated solely in the metropolitan area.

Content like "Jojoso," created by alumnus Lee Tae-dong, a graduate of the Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts Film Department, has become a big hit despite not being based in Seoul. The educational achievements of the Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts are marked by the active activities of its graduates.

▲ Director Jung Ji-hye, who won the Grand Prize and Jury Grand Prize at the 2022 Jeonju International Film Festival and Rome International Film Festival for the film "Jeongsoon" ▲ Director Son Kyung-won’s "Shepherd," set to be released in 2023 ▲ Ko In-beom from the drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" ▲ Kim Tae-young, who appeared in the drama "Jojoso" ▲ Jung Je-won from the film "Hostage" ▲ Kim Ki-joo from the drama "Gang Gye-jang" ▲ Choi Won-jun from the drama "D.P." ▲ Han Se-bin from the drama "Secret House" ▲ Park Kyung-bok from the film "Brother" are all actively working in films, dramas, and advertisements.

Musical actors Sung Ki-yoon, Lee Geon-myeong, Oh So-yeon, and director Lee Jae-eun are also actively working in the musical field, enhancing the prestige of the Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts.

The Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts is planning a feature film directly created by students from the Film, Acting, and Musical departments?the first such project at a single college.

A university official said, "Planning a feature film at the college level is something only the Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts can do," adding, "Please watch the progress of Dongseo University Im Kwon-taek College of Film Arts, which dreams not of an ending but a new beginning and challenge in this era of crisis when universities worry about the cherry blossom ending."

‘Jojjosso’. Official promotional image for the Cannes International Series Festival invitation.