KSCC2018 Helsinki - presentation abstracts
All abstracts in order of the schedule
Panel 1: Global audiences
"Tailor-made Fest for Presenting the Value of Korean Cinema in London: Korean Film Night between 2012 and 2014"
Sungil Ko (University Of Nottingham)
This paper will investigate how the Korean Film Night (KFN), regular film showcase event, organised by Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) is promote Korean culture in London through a case study of KFN’s ‘three-year project’ starting in 2012. Within the context of cultural diplomacy, government-backed cultural centres (e.g. British Council, Institut Français) to promote their cultural aspects in overseas territories. Such agencies have also held regular film screening events as the platform of cultural exchange which enable audiences in foreign nations to experience different culture in their daily life. The KCCUK, which had organised the regular film showcase event (formerly called KFN) since 2008, presented a series of new programmes –‘The Year of 12 Directors’, ‘The Year of 4 Actors’ and ‘The Year of 4 Film Professionals’ - from 2012. This ‘three-year project’ was a new extension that played a cultural diplomatic role to present the value of Korean cinema and film culture. In order to achieve it, the new project was dedicated to particular Korean movie figures whereas previous KFN had simply displayed various genres of Korean cinema. In addition, this ‘three-year project’ increased the number of screenings every week, implemented certain practices, venue hiring outside KCCUK, and Q&A and Masterclasses. Regarding such change of programming concept, this paper argues that KFN’s ‘three-year project’ aims at presenting the quality of the Korean film industry by focusing on the unique savoir-faire of some of unnoticed key figures (like filmmakers, actors, etc.) by the British audience, but whose individual contribution has been primordial in making some Korean film famous internationally.
Biography
I am currently a 4th year PhD candidate in Film and Media studies, at the University of Nottingham. My PhD thesis focuses on the localisation practices of Korean screen media implemented in promotion for cultural events organised by Korean government agencies, and in its consumption by UK-based fans of Korean pop culture.