Gyeonggi-do with a great filming infrastructure helps promote the country's movie industry.
Korean Film Industry
‘Parasite’ is one
of the most popular films in the cinema industry thesedays. Starting from the
Palme d’Or at 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite has won an uncountable
number of awards, including Golden Globes, British Academy and it is nominated for
several awards in the Oscars. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Korean film history, Parasite’s glorious awards are expected to bring about a big change in the Korean cinema industry. Beginning with the first motion picture “Fight for Justice” in 1919, the industry experienced its prime in the late 1990s with Korean blockbusters loved by the audience. Since then, Korean films have evolved significantly over the past two decades as the number of Korean films as well as the influence of distributors and film companies has increased.
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| The cast of Parasite (2019) directed by Bong Joon-ho |
Watching movies is a common and popular cultural activity in Korea. According to a recent survey, going to the movies was the most exclusive activity of the young generation aged 15 and 34 years old. The cumulative number of movie audiences in South Korea in 2019 was over 226 million, the same level for six consecutive years and the largest in history.
The increasing popularity of cinema led the dramatic development to the film industry. Domestic large companies, such as CJ ENM, Showbox and Lotte Culture Wick played an important role in the establishment and distribution system of Korean films and the introduction of multiplex theaters.
The increasing popularity of cinema led the dramatic development to the film industry. Domestic large companies, such as CJ ENM, Showbox and Lotte Culture Wick played an important role in the establishment and distribution system of Korean films and the introduction of multiplex theaters.
Filming Locations in Gyeonggi-do
Accordingly,
various filming locations exist in Korea. Out of many famous filming locations
in Korea, there are special studios and movie sets in Gyeonggi-do that are
eye-catching.
Korean Folk Village
Korean
Folk Village (KFV) is mainly a living museum type of tourist attraction in the
city of Yongin, a satellite city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. KFV showcases Korean culture, particularly clothing,
architecture, food and village life, in the past, most notably the Joseon
dynasty (1392 AD -1897 AD).
While
on the one hand, KFV is a popular tourist destination, on the other hand, is a famous
filming location for the historical movies and dramas (called ‘Sageuk’ in Korean).
Starting from 1983 many pictures were produced in KFV including ‘Face Reader’ (2013),
‘Masquerade’ (2012), and the recent Netflix series ‘Kingdom’ (2019). As the Mecca
of historical film, KFV presents various special events such as Gosa (a
shamanistic ritual) for film production, autograph sessions, and handprints.
Goguryeo Blacksmith Village
Goguryeo
Blacksmith Village, established by Guri city, Gyeonggi-do, is the historic
theme park of Goguryeo (the Ancient Korean Kingdom, 37 BCE – 668 AD). It is the
only blacksmith village in Korea and also used as a filming site, where various
pictures were filmed (the most famous one would be ‘The Great Battle, 2018’). The
village features an ancient blacksmith environment with fire pots, forge, huge watermill,
actual tools that bygone blacksmiths used and traditional blacksmith houses. All
the exhibits in the village have been historically investigated, based on
Goguryeo mural, in order to depict the lifestyle and housing style of an
ancient kingdom.
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| The replica of a typical Traditional house in Korean Folk Village |
Movie Festivals in Gyeonggi-do
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Along
with the filming sites, Gyeonggi-do organizes numerous film festivals. Bucheon
International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) would be the most famous one in
Gyeonggi-do. The festival has grown by leaps since 1997 from its birth and
became the most representative symbol of Bucheon City, Gyeonggi-do, known as a
Mecca of the culture with combination of Animation, Cartoon, Game, and Film
moving forward to its change and creativity. BIFAN has not only got the name of
most dynamic film festival that brings together numerous film enthusiasts but
also evolved into a global fame that deserves the term ‘Fantastic,’ filled with
fresh energy of sensitivity in the past 20 years.
Through
popular, creative and progressive programming, BIFAN is highly ranked by the
audiences and film professionals alike and has confirmed its own unique
identity by providing newly various points of views. Furthermore, with
cooperation with Yubari Fantastic Film Festival in Japan and European Fantastic
Film Federation among others, BIFAN has progressed into the biggest gala in
Asia of genres films.
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| BIFAN is one of the most popular film festivals in Korea |
DMZ
International Documentary Film Festival
DMZ InternationalDocumentary Film Festival (DMZ Docs) is a South Korean film festival for
documentary films jointly presented by Gyeonggi Province, Paju city and Goyang city.
First started in 2009, it is held annually for a week in September/October less
than twenty kilometers from the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Over the past
decade, DMZ Docs has grown into the leading documentary festival in Korea and Asia.
The festival presents its vision and direction more clearly with the
documentary selections and program events.
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| DMZ Docs 2019(poster) |
The Korean film industry
is now in the heyday, thanks to the popularity of the movie ‘Parasite (2019)’ directed by Bong Joon-ho. Cinema
in Korea is one of the biggest sectors in the economy and behind the scene
Gyeonggi-do is playing an important role, supporting the phenomenon.
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