By Kim Bo-eun
Imagine a film festival without film industry people.
A group of film-related associations has vowed to boycott this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), citing the city government's interference in the organizing committee's operations.
The group of nine associations, including the Korean Film Producers Association, said Monday that it had polled its members regarding the boycott on social media and by phone during the first week of April.
More than half of the members responded and over 90 percent agreed with the move, according to the group.
"This is the first time in 10 years that those in the film industry put their voices together for a cause since the opposition against the reduction of the screen quota for domestic films in 2006," the group said.
"It is regrettable to make such an extreme decision with the festival only six months away. But we film industry people will not participate in this year's BIFF unless its independence and freedom of expression are guaranteed."
Accordingly, concerns are growing for this year's festival, scheduled for Oct. 6 to 15.
The dispute between the Busan Metropolitan Government (BMG) and festival organizers began after the BMG attempted to stop the 2014 screening of a film depicting the Sewol ferry tragedy.
The film titled "The Truth Shall Not Sink with the Sewol" criticizes the government's failed rescue efforts during the 2014 disaster, which resulted in over 300 deaths.
The city government demanded the organizers cancel the screening, citing that it "infringed on political neutrality," but the organizers refused.
It then filed a complaint against the then head of the executive committee Lee Yong-kwan, auditing him and then dismissing him.
However, Lee appointed 68 advisers with voting rights to the committee ahead of a regular general meeting in an attempt to change its internal rules, as this requires consent from two-thirds of its members.
The committee aimed at changing the rules to autonomously select the head of the organization to guarantee autonomy from the city government.
This prompted the BMG to file for a court injunction with the Busan District Court to annul the appointment of the new advisers. The court acknowledged this on April 11, halting the effectiveness of the appointments until a final ruling is made on the case.
The BMG is the festival's largest stockholder and sponsors the majority of its annual budget. It also provides financial and administrative support for the festival.
Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo, who heads BIFF's organization, offered to resign from the post in February, but has yet to follow through. The group of film-related associations has continued their calls for him to step down.
BIFF was founded in 1996 as Korea's first international film festival.
Imagine a film festival without film industry people.
A group of film-related associations has vowed to boycott this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), citing the city government's interference in the organizing committee's operations.
The group of nine associations, including the Korean Film Producers Association, said Monday that it had polled its members regarding the boycott on social media and by phone during the first week of April.
More than half of the members responded and over 90 percent agreed with the move, according to the group.
"This is the first time in 10 years that those in the film industry put their voices together for a cause since the opposition against the reduction of the screen quota for domestic films in 2006," the group said.
"It is regrettable to make such an extreme decision with the festival only six months away. But we film industry people will not participate in this year's BIFF unless its independence and freedom of expression are guaranteed."
Accordingly, concerns are growing for this year's festival, scheduled for Oct. 6 to 15.
The dispute between the Busan Metropolitan Government (BMG) and festival organizers began after the BMG attempted to stop the 2014 screening of a film depicting the Sewol ferry tragedy.
The film titled "The Truth Shall Not Sink with the Sewol" criticizes the government's failed rescue efforts during the 2014 disaster, which resulted in over 300 deaths.
The city government demanded the organizers cancel the screening, citing that it "infringed on political neutrality," but the organizers refused.
It then filed a complaint against the then head of the executive committee Lee Yong-kwan, auditing him and then dismissing him.
However, Lee appointed 68 advisers with voting rights to the committee ahead of a regular general meeting in an attempt to change its internal rules, as this requires consent from two-thirds of its members.
The committee aimed at changing the rules to autonomously select the head of the organization to guarantee autonomy from the city government.
This prompted the BMG to file for a court injunction with the Busan District Court to annul the appointment of the new advisers. The court acknowledged this on April 11, halting the effectiveness of the appointments until a final ruling is made on the case.
The BMG is the festival's largest stockholder and sponsors the majority of its annual budget. It also provides financial and administrative support for the festival.
Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo, who heads BIFF's organization, offered to resign from the post in February, but has yet to follow through. The group of film-related associations has continued their calls for him to step down.
BIFF was founded in 1996 as Korea's first international film festival.
