What kind of help has PIFF received from the South Korean government, especially from the Ministry of Culture?
The new government has been helpful from the the beginning. [In 2003,] Lee Chang-dong was appointed as Minister of Culture. It is rather sad that he worked for only 1.5 years. He resigned regrettably so early. I guess he wanted to help not only the South Korean film industry but also other cultural fields in South Korea. Thus it is difficult to say what has been the government’s contribution to the South Korean film industry. At Pusan, international guests get a chance to watch the latest South Korean films. How does PIFF help the Korean audience to know more about the current trends in world cinema? The main purpose of the Pusan Film Festival is to introduce South Korean films abroad. Our contribution in that regard is much more significant than that of other film festivals. Before the launch of PIFF only three South Korean films were shown at the Cannes Film Festival during its 50 year history. After the establishment of the Pusan Film Festival, the Cannes festival director and direc
