Call for Withdrawal of Ministry and Film Council's Guideline Revision
Busan, Jeonju, and Other Major Film Festivals Join Forces
Claims have been raised that the proposed revision of the Film Development Fund subsidy management guidelines, promoted by the government and the Korean Film Council, threatens the very existence of domestic film festivals.
The Council of International Film Festivals issued a statement on the 28th, saying, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council's attempt to revise the guidelines poses a serious threat that could make it impossible for domestic film festivals to continue," and demanded the withdrawal of the proposal. The council is comprised of eight organizations, including the Busan International Film Festival, the Jeonju International Film Festival, and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
The revision of the Korean Film Council's guidelines was pursued in accordance with last year's amendment to the Ministry of Economy and Finance's unified management guidelines for government subsidies. The guidelines were applied uniformly without considering the unique characteristics of film festivals, and controversy arose as neither the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism nor the Korean Film Council requested improvements or exceptions. The council pointed out, "Both the central government and the implementing agencies are ignoring the realities on the ground."
International film festivals have served as a foundation for expanding access to film and fostering industry development over the past 30 years. However, it has been difficult to operate solely with support from local governments, making government subsidies an essential source of funding.
The council emphasized, "Cutting off government support is not simply an administrative procedure, but a significant setback that shakes the very roots of the Korean film ecosystem and cultural diversity. Film festivals are not one-off events, but public platforms for discovering creators, facilitating international exchange, and promoting the growth of the visual culture industry."
They called on the Ministry of Economy and Finance to thoroughly reconsider the revision of the government subsidy guidelines, and urged the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council to withdraw the 'exclusion of duplicate support' clause. Accordingly, they demanded that government subsidies for film festivals be restored at least to the 2023 level.
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