[PIFF] Envisioning Pusan as Film Mecca
Published on | Source
By Kim Ki-tae
Staff Reporter
Pusan City has promised to support the festival financially to ensure its continued success in its second decade, said Hur Nam-sik, festival chairman and mayor of the port city.
"The festival needs to procure stable financial support for its quality and future growth", Hur told The Korea Times in an interview at his office in central Pusan on Tuesday. "Pusan City will do its best to help the festival go on with various envisioned projects".
With such investment, he said, the port city is expected to become a Mecca of the motion picture industry in Asia. "We will complete building a mega-sized filmmaking complex in 2011 at the latest in Haeundae, which will provide a one-stop service for filmmakers", he said.
For the construction, the city plans to spend approximately 46.8 billion won ($46 million) together with the central government.
"We want to host filmmakers from Russia, Japan, China and Hong Kong. We also hope more investors and film lovers from around the world will come here during the festival and trade various motion pictures and share industry information", Hur said.
"And in the end, we envision becoming an Asian film industry hub, where even Hollywood filmmakers come for production".
According to him, the city has certain reasons to give a boost to the film festival and industry. "The city annually provides around 1.5 billion won to the festival, but it returns around 22.5 billion won ($22 million)-worth of economic effects every year. It is also estimated to create around 1,700 jobs in the city", he said.
Looking back at the festival's 10 years, the mayor said even he himself was dubious about its success when it was suggested. At that time he was a ranking official of the city government. "While meeting with Korean film-related people in the lead-up to the first opening, I came to know their passion and grew confident about its success", he said.
The mayor attributed the festival's 10-year success to the film-related people and Pusan citizens. "The city government only assists the festival in financial and administrative parts and entrusted all the others to them. And I think it worked".
Staff Reporter
Pusan City has promised to support the festival financially to ensure its continued success in its second decade, said Hur Nam-sik, festival chairman and mayor of the port city.
"The festival needs to procure stable financial support for its quality and future growth", Hur told The Korea Times in an interview at his office in central Pusan on Tuesday. "Pusan City will do its best to help the festival go on with various envisioned projects".
With such investment, he said, the port city is expected to become a Mecca of the motion picture industry in Asia. "We will complete building a mega-sized filmmaking complex in 2011 at the latest in Haeundae, which will provide a one-stop service for filmmakers", he said.
For the construction, the city plans to spend approximately 46.8 billion won ($46 million) together with the central government.
"We want to host filmmakers from Russia, Japan, China and Hong Kong. We also hope more investors and film lovers from around the world will come here during the festival and trade various motion pictures and share industry information", Hur said.
"And in the end, we envision becoming an Asian film industry hub, where even Hollywood filmmakers come for production".
According to him, the city has certain reasons to give a boost to the film festival and industry. "The city annually provides around 1.5 billion won to the festival, but it returns around 22.5 billion won ($22 million)-worth of economic effects every year. It is also estimated to create around 1,700 jobs in the city", he said.
Looking back at the festival's 10 years, the mayor said even he himself was dubious about its success when it was suggested. At that time he was a ranking official of the city government. "While meeting with Korean film-related people in the lead-up to the first opening, I came to know their passion and grew confident about its success", he said.
The mayor attributed the festival's 10-year success to the film-related people and Pusan citizens. "The city government only assists the festival in financial and administrative parts and entrusted all the others to them. And I think it worked".
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