The Korean Film Council (KOFIC, Chairman: KIM Eui-suk) started an online screening platform known as the ‘kobiz Online Screening’ website (screening.koreanfilm.or.kr) in October in order to improve access to Korean films and help vitalize business activities between domestic and foreign film related people. While submission of films to evaluation for foreign film festivals used to be handled by each separate festival in the past, this new online screening service is always open and is designed to help filmmakers save time and money.

 
Meanwhile, KOFIC began its ‘December Online Screening Showcase’ on December 7, which will continue until the end of the year, to support previews for submission to 21 international film festivals to be held in the first half of next year, such as the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival. Through these festivals, where buyers from 15 foreign distribution companies with past experience of purchasing Korean films will participate, Korean cinema can expect an opportunity for expansion to the overseas market.

 
Among feature/short films, documentaries and animations completed in or after 2011, 37 new feature films including O-Muel’s Jiseul, one of the hot films from the 17th Busan International Film Festival, SHIN Su-won’s Pluto and JANG Kun-jae’s Sleepless Night, and 33 short films including PARK Buem’s The Night of The Witness and YUN Eun-hye’s The Knitting have been submitted. (As of December 12th)