Born in 1955, LEE Yong-kwan is the current chairman of the Busan International Film Festival. After completing a master degree in film studies at Chung-Ang University, he was appointed in 1985 as a teacher of the Department of Theater and Film at Kyungsung University, in Busan, until he moved to Chung-Ang University in 1995, where he would fill various positions including dean of the Graduate School of Art. Having co-founded in 1996 the Busan International Film Festival, he h...More

Born in 1955, LEE Yong-kwan is the current chairman of the Busan International Film Festival. After completing a master degree in film studies at Chung-Ang University, he was appointed in 1985 as a teacher of the Department of Theater and Film at Kyungsung University, in Busan, until he moved to Chung-Ang University in 1995, where he would fill various positions including dean of the Graduate School of Art. Having co-founded in 1996 the Busan International Film Festival, he held the position of chief programmer of the festival for many years until he was named deputy director and later co-director with KIM Dong-ho. In the meantime, LEE held the title of vice chairperson of the Korean Film Council between 2000 and 2002, and also served as director of the Seoul Short Film Festival, chairperson of the Seoul International Youth Film Festival and head of Cinematheque Busan. In 2012, he became dean of the Im Kwon-taek College of Film and Media Arts of Dongseo University in Busan. LEE was eventually chosen to succeed KIM at the head of the Busan festival starting from the 2011’s edition, but in 2014, the screening of documentary <The Truth Will Not sing With Sewol>, which criticized the way former president PARK responded to the Sewol ferry disaster, led to a political scandal as the government of Busan City requested the film to be removed from the program. Since LEE stood by his decision, the mayor went on with a call for LEE’s resignation and later filed charges against the festival director for alleged fraud, a move largely seen as a reprisal. LEE eventually stepped down in 2016. However, following the impeachment of PARK and the disclosure of a state-run blacklist of cultural figures who opposed the government, LEE was reinstated and appointed new chairman of the festival in 2018. He is better known among the general public for having presented a TV show on movies and has also published several books about cinema and a film magazine.Less