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PIFF Plans LA Fest and TV Channel

The Pusan International Film Festival plans to hold a smaller, exported version of its festival in LA next year. The tentatively titled "PIFF in LA" is a collaboration between PIFF and Joong Ang Broadcasting Corporation (JBC). The two partners also plan to launch a PIFF-branded cable channel in South Korea.

The city of Busan has had a 40-year sister relationship with Los Angeles, with LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa visiting during PIFF this year to commemorate the two cities long ties. LA is home to over one million ethnic Koreans, and other Korean companies such as CGV have already made inroads into the LA market with the building of the first Korean-owned multiplex LA¡¯s Korea Town this Fall.

"PIFF in LA" aims to showcase Korean and Asian programming, bringing a selection of commercial and artistic Asian titles from the 11th PIFF across the Pacific, with plans to launch the festival in the first half of next year. The also tentatively titled "PIFF Channel" in South Korea, plans to start as a programming block on Q Channel, a culture and documentary channel owned by Joong Ang Broadcasting Corp.

Following in the footsteps of the Sundance Channel, PIFF Channel will be a film festival-oriented TV channel, and will begin by airing about 50 films from the PIFF line-up. PIFF and JBC plan to build up programming gradually but are in the early stages of discussing their acquisitions strategy.

JBC is also looking to launch its own channel in the US market.

Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)