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On November 27, 2014, the curtain was raised on the 40th anniversary edition of the Seoul Independent Film Festival. The event is a mainstay of the Korean independent filmmaking community, and a required destination for anyone who wants to experience and appreciate the vitality of contemporary Korean cinema. Although some critics lament over falling levels of creativity in the mainstream commercial film sector, the creative energy of Korea’s independent filmmakers is acknowledged far and wide.

 

The riches on display at the 40th SIFF include award-winning independent features, short films, documentaries of various length and innovative animated works. Some of them were recently screened at the Busan International Film Festival, which itself has placed a very strong focus on independent films, while others are being unveiled to audiences for the first time. Some of them will go on to receive a theatrical release in Korea, most likely on a limited scale, while others may never get the chance.

 

Korea is overflowing with independent cinema. A record 1004 films were submitted to SIFF this year, of which they selected 115. This reflects the deep pool of filmmaking talent that exists in Korea, and which continues to grow every year. For audiences interested in independent cinema, it is a very exciting time, with filmmakers pursuing a continued diversification of styles and approaches. But the overarching issue that hangs over this boom period is this: is Korea paying proper attention to these creative and accomplished works, that are often shot at great personal sacrifice on the part of the filmmakers?

 

It might be unreasonable to expect that independent films might receive the same level of attention from audiences as mainstream commercial films -- after all, in no country in the world is this the case. Nonetheless, in Korea the gap between mainstream and independent films is much too large. A box office performance of 1.5 or 2 million admissions is considered a modest success in the mainstream industry: enough for an average-sized film to break even. For an independent film, usually released on just a handful of screens, 10,000 admissions is something to be proud of.

 

Clearly much effort needs to be made, on the part of the government, the mainstream film industry, ordinary viewers, and filmmakers themselves to increase awareness of Korean independent films and diversify the viewing habits of the mainstream audience. It’s a question of fighting the imbalances in the distribution sector, of finding innovative ways to market independent films, and of simple word of mouth.

 

Occasionally, independent films break out to receive wider-than-usual attention. A string of festival awards and strong word-of-mouth, not to mention an ambitious release by distributor CGV Movie Collage, helped the acclaimed film Han Gong-ju to attract an impressive 225,000 admissions this spring. July JUNG’s debut film A Girl at My Door premiered first at Cannes and benefited from the casting of well-known actors like BAE Doo-na, KIM Sae-ron and SONG Sae-byeok to gross 106,000 admissions. ZHANG Lu’s Gyeongju, which is distinctly non-mainstream in style, used a campaign centered around stars PARK Hae-il and SHIN Min-a to reach 63,000 admissions. Perhaps even more impressive in its own way was the performance of independent comedy The King of Jokgu, which did not have the benefit of a large distributor or mainstream stars, but which over the course of two months rode strong word-of-mouth to accumulate 45,000 admissions.

 

But viewers who pay close attention to independent film know that there is tremendous diversity and accomplishment beyond the breakout titles. It’s a particularly exciting time to be following Korean documentaries, with diverse works competing for the attention of a growing audience. The infrastructure for documentary filmmaking in Korea is also building, with important contributions being made by Docs Port Incheon, an event organized by the Incheon Film Commission, and the recent launch of Seoul-based Documentary Airways, the first-ever sales company devoted exclusively to Asian documentaries. In late November, the new company brought YI Seung-jun(Planet of Snail)’s Wind on the Moon to the competition section of the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam. Other upcoming works include IM Heung-soon’s Factory Complex, about the history of the women’s labor movement in Korea, and LEE Chang-jae’s Hospice, a documentary about end-of-life care that was financed by Filament Pictures, a subsidiary of CJ E&M.

 

Korean independent film continues to change at a steady rate, with the arrival of a new generation of filmmakers, and a production/distribution environment that is constantly in flux. It is in some ways the best of times for independent films, and the results are noticeable on the screen. But the hurdles which filmmakers must overcome to reach their audience are as imposing as ever, so much more effort is needed.