British Films To Be Shown At Pusan International Film festival In Korea

The UK Film Council continues to support the promotion of the British film industry to overseas markets through the work of its International department.
From October 12-20, the UK Film Council International department will take a UK Trade and Investment supported fact-finding delegation of UK sales agents, producers and distributors to the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea. This will include the Asian Film Market and the three day industry Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP).
The eight companies participating on the delegation are Capitol Films, Celsius Entertainment, Hanway Films, High Point Films, Independent Film Sales, Odyssey, and Soda Pictures, as well as the UK Film Council.
Whilst in Pusan the delegation will explore export and partnership opportunities with Korea and other Asian counterparts and build on the International department’s previous work in South East Asia.
Sarah McKenzie, Senior Executive Export Development for the UK Film Council’s International department commented: “Korea has the tenth most valuable theatrical market in the world. Coupled with the reduction in the national film quota and the growing success of Korean films internationally, this market offers real possibilities. Just this week the Korean Film Council, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced plans which position the Korean film industry at the forefront of art and technology with a commitment to invest almost $49 m in digital cinema over the next three years.”
Accordingly the UK Film Council has been working in partnership with the Korean Film Council, the Festival, Asian Film Market and PPP on the delegation’s programme, and on the UK elements at the three events. Alongside a schedule of industry briefings, meetings and events are a host of UK films screening within the Festival. These include three Lottery funded projects from the UK Film Council - Ken Loach’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley', Paul Andrew Williams’ award winning and highly praised first feature 'London to Brighton', and the Palme d’Or nominee, Richard Linklater’s 'Fast Food Nation'.
The other British films being screened are: the documentary feature 'Crossing The Line' (Director: Daniel Gordon); Michael Winterbottom and Matthew Whitecross’s 'The Road to Guantanamo'; Pratibha Parmar’s comedy 'Nina’s Heavenly Delights'; Michael J Basset’s nail biting horror, 'Wilderness', written by Dario Poloni; Christopher Nielson’s critically acclaimed anarchic comedy 'Free Jimmy' co-written with Simon Pegg; Fabrice Genestal’s 'Black Box', 'The Front Line', a thriller written and directed by David Gleeson; and Fyodor Bondarchuk’s war drama '9th Company', written by Yuri Korotkov.
Meanwhile the Pusan Promotion Plan, a project market specializing in Asian Cinema which brings promising filmmakers and producers together with potential co-producers and financiers, has for the first time expanded to include projects from countries outside Asia. The Ballad of Jo Lim, a UK film represented by Independent Film Sales is one of this year’s 40 selected projects.
(DS)