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Working with names such as BONG Joon-ho and KIM Jee-woon, and relying on a global network of international film industry contacts, producer Lewis KIM is at the forefront of a new film financing revolution in the Korean, not to mention global film industry. Sitting down with KoBiz in Seoul’s Mapo district, in the new Lewis Pictures office, which was a whirl with people busily setting the stage for BONG’s latest film, the global production Okja, KIM told us about his background in the industry and how new, creative avenues for film production and financing are contributing to the ever in flux Korean film industry.

 

 

I majored in Japanese language and literature and as I was about to graduate, I tried to think of a job, vaguely thinking that it could be movie-related, that would allow me both to work and travel a lot. At this point, I didn’t know if I wanted to be a director, producer or involved in marketing, but very naturally I wound up applying to the international marketing sales department of Cinema Service. Back then, in 2000, it was quite a big studio, rivalling CJ Entertainment. Luckily I was brought on and that’s where things started for me. The work, which I did for about two years, consisted of writing English loglines, coming up with English titles for films and developing posters, designs and press kits to bring to international film markets.

 

In 2003, I got a call from CHOI Yong-bae, the president of Chungeorahm Film, while he was developing BONG Joon-ho’s The Host (2006). He suggested that I came on board and take care of all of the film’s international needs. Without hesitation, I accepted straight away. Around this time I was invited to a party thrown by CHOI and I met BONG Joon-ho for the first time. He told me that he was about to start writing The Host and we talked about what I could do to help him. As I felt that project had a great director and an interesting concept, I told CHOI that I felt we had a chance of getting funding from overseas. Seeing it as a creature feature, Korean investors considered the project risky. During the Cannes Film Market of 2004, I spoke to many potential investors and eventually secured over USD 3 million from Japanese investors, in exchange for the eventual Japanese distribution rights. I guess you could call this my first triumph in the production side of the business. Work on The Host lasted until 2006-07 and I next teamed up with BONG for his segment on the omnibus Tokyo! (2008). Right now I’m producing BONG’s film Okja.

 

 

It was an intentional move as I wanted a job where I could run around outside, meet a lot of people and explore. When I got my position at Cinema Service, I knew that I was going to be a producer, but I wanted to be a resourceful one that could focus on international projects. However, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t interested in local films, I just think it’s great to have relationships outside of the Korean business.

 

 

I began working with them after The Host. The company had a lot of big names in its roster, such as KIM Jee-woon and BONG Joon-ho, and president CHOI Jae-won gave me an opportunity to help these directors communicate with the outside world, so I took on a position as head of international business. I spent a year and a half there helping out directors and the company on international matters. This also brought me back to the business side of things and it was also at this time that Tokyo! came along.

 

 

After Barunson, I first worked as a freelancer for this and that. Things went on like this, doing international-related tasks on various projects, for three years. This turned out to be practice for being on my own and not relying on a bigger company. During this time I was involved with Snowpiercer (2013), but only during the development process as I had to pull out when my focus was being drawn away to my own projects, including a new film by KIM Jee-woon, and BONG’s next film after Snowpiercer. From this point on it was necessary to form my own entity. Since I had these projects, I needed an official business for the paperwork.

 

 

It’s been a strictly professional one. Whenever director BONG has an idea, because of his global popularity, there are always questions and needs to address for the international market, and I was the closest person to him to help with these things, particularly issues coming from Japan and the United States. On The Host I helped him contact visual effects companies, and later, when Hollywood agencies WME and CAA came knocking, it was me they got in touch with.