The Korean Film Council’s International Co-production Incentive Program supports and encourages Korean filmmakers to work with different film industries around the world - to share production knowledge, create partnerships and build networks. The incentive is awarded once a year to about three projects. Each is granted approximately USD 3 million. The production applying for the incentive program must be receiving international support amounting to 20% of the total production cost, of which the net production cost exceeds USD 10 million, and should be at least 70 minutes long and made for theatrical release in Korea. This year, the applications were submitted in March, and three projects have been selected: NA Hong-jin’s Gok-seong (W/T), PARK Heung-sik’s Doo Beon-jjae Seu-mul, and OH Ki-hwan’s Bu-ja, A-ppa-ga Dol-a-wat-da.

 

Director NA has a few big films under his belt already, with The Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010), both starring KIM Yun-seok and HA Jung-woo. Many elements of Gok-seong are not yet in place. The project will be produced by the recently founded Korean company Sidemirror, and it will be their first production. The team is planning to begin shooting later this year. The story is about a lost individual in the midst of rumors and uncertainties, and when his village’s order is broken, his daughter becomes ill. Fox International Production has confirmed that they will invest and serve as a co-producing partner.

Literally meaning ‘My Second Twenties,’ is PARK Heung-sik’s Doo Beon-jjae Seu-mul. As the average life span has extended in recent years, our half-life crisis comes late as well. Doo Beon-jjae Seu-mul focuses on the romance of a couple in their forties. KANG Min-gu is a filmmaker who boards a plane heading to Italy to participate in a film festival as a jury member. KANG Min-ha is an optometrist also heading to the same place for a conference. They met on a film set many years ago and fell in love, but have gone their separate ways. Although Min-ha tries to ignore Min-gu at first, they end up touring Toscana together and realize that their past breakup had just been a simple misunderstanding. They long for each other but their responsibilities and their children force them to come to reality upon their arrival in Seoul. PARK’s past works include The Twins (2005) with JUNG Joon-ho and The Railroad (2007) with KIM Gang-woo and SOHN Tae-young. The domestic company behind this project is Min Film, which is divided into two parts: Min Film and PARK Gok Gi Editing Room. PARK Gok Gi Editing Room has a notable filmography that includes The Day a Pig Fell Into a Well (1996), The Contact (1997), Swiri (1999), and Save the Green Planet (2003) to name a few. Min Film will be holding hands with Mestiere Cinema in Italy who worked on The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and Quantum of Solace (2009) to complete this middle-aged romance.

 

The third film, Bu-ja, A-ppa-ga Dol-a-wat-da (short: Bu-ja) can be translated as ‘Father and son, Dad Came Back’. Director OH’s previous works include The Art of Seduction (2005), Five Senses of Eros (2009), and soon to be released Fashion King starring JOO Won. OH is experienced in the co-production world due to his 2013 Korean-Chinese title, A Wedding Invitation, which received very positive responses in China. A Wedding Invitation was a romantic comedy wrapped around the separation of a couple, which aroused both tears and laughter from audiences. Bu-ja takes the relationship between a father and a son and looks at their reconciliation and separation. The father had no choice but to get a divorce, and while looking back at his own life, he realizes what matters to him the most and tries his hardest to reconcile with his family. The company behind Bu-ja is The Lamp, which worked with Showbox/Mediaplex on the recent CHOI Seung-hyun (T.O.P.) led action film Commitment. The lead producer assigned for Bu-ja is an experienced individual who handled investment for Mr. Go and The Thieves (2012), as well as marketing for The Host (2006). Bu-ja will begin production this fall, as soon as casting is complete. The Lamp will most likely partner with a Chinese company for Bu-ja but this has yet to be determined.

 

By June KIM