Abstract

Since the 1990s, no film culture has reached a higher level of international as well as national success than the South Korean film industry. Shifting from an obscure national film culture to an Asian dynamo in a timespan of only 20 years, the expansion and development of the country’s film industry allowed Korea to develop into the top cultural hub in Asia. This shift was possible thanks to various state institutions who encouraged and supported new production practices through various legislation. In 1996, taking advantage of the resurgence and development of the Korean film industry, various film industry members, in participation with municipal, provincial and state organizations, organized the first international film festival in Korea’s history, held in the southern port-city of Busan. This event would eventually play a crucial role in the success of Korean films both locally and on the global level. As a ‘Field-Configuring Event’, the Busan International Film Festival would be dedicated to the promotion, support, funding and development of the Korean film industry. Since its inception in the mid-1990s, BIFF has played a pivotal role in the success of Korean motion pictures across the globe, most notably in various A-list international film festivals, and at home, where market shares have soared to over 80% in 2013.