News
CHOI Yong-bae Takes on BiFan Festival Director Post
Veteran film producer CHOI Yong-bae has been appointed as the new festival director of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan). He will begin his three-year term on January 1st, 2016, replacing current director KIM Young-bin, who is expected to make a return to feature filmmaking.
Known for producing BONG Joon-ho’s The Host (2006), which held the title of most successful Korean of all time until the release of Roaring Currents last summer, CHOI is a graduate of the Seoul National University, where he received a B.A. in Western History and Civilization, and the Seoul Institute of the Arts, where he pursued Masters in filmmaking. Beyond his work as a producer, CHOI has served as Vice President at the Korean Film Producers' Association (KFPA) and currently teaches filmmaking and film production at the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts).
CHOI took his first steps in the Korean film industry as an assistant director, participating in films such as CHUNG Ji-young’s North Korean Partisan In South Korea (1990). Moving into an executive role, he worked for the Film Business Division of Daewoo Corp. and subsequently was a Vice President at top film studio Cinema Service. He then founded his own outfit, Chungeorahm Film, at which he has served as CEO until now.
In addition to BONG Joon-ho, CHOI has also produced works by renowned Korean filmmakers KIM Ki-duk (3-Iron, 2004), KIM Jee-woon (A Tale Of Two Sisters, 2003), IM Sang-soo (A Good Lawyer’s Wife, 2003) and LEE Myung-se (M, 2007).
BiFan will celebrate its 20th edition next July.
