Kim Dong-ho, founding festival director of the Busan International Film Festival, has been named the recipient of the 31st BIFF’s Korean Cinema Award.
The honor goes to figures whose work has shaped Korean cinema and helped raise its profile abroad.
Kim began his career at the Ministry of Culture and Information, now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. He went on to serve as president of the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation, now the Korean Film Council, founding president of the Seoul Arts Center, and vice minister of the Ministry of Culture from 1992 to 1993.
In 1996, Kim became BIFF’s founding festival director, guiding the event through its launch. During his tenure, he broke with the standard practice of pre-approving films for censors, choosing instead to keep the festival’s programming free of government interference. That stance won over filmmakers around the world and helped turn BIFF into a central meeting point for Asian film.
Kim stayed involved with the film community after leaving the director post. He took on the roles of dean at Dankook Graduate School of Cinematic Content and chair of both the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment and BIFF, turning his attention to training young filmmakers and shaping cultural policy. He has also sat as jury president or jury member at major festivals, including the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes, as well as at Rotterdam and Fukuoka.
Kim’s own filmmaking continued past his retirement from festival leadership. His documentary “Walking in the Movies” (2024), which looks back on his life in cinema, was selected for Cannes Classics. He followed it with his feature directorial debut, “Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema” (2025), working with filmmakers including Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and Kore-eda Hirokazu. The film screened at the 30th BIFF. Now in his late 80s, Kim continues to work behind a camera.
“It is a great honor to receive such a prestigious award,” Kim said. “I feel deeply moved and humbled to be recognized by the very festival I helped establish and served for over 15 years.”
He added, “Even today, I attend more than 10 film festivals each year to promote Korean cinema, and I hope to continue this journey for as long as I can.”
The Korean Cinema Award will be presented at the opening ceremony of the 31st BIFF on Oct. 6. The festival runs Oct. 6-15 at the Busan Cinema Center and other venues around the city.
The 21st Asian Contents & Film Market runs alongside the festival, from Oct. 10-13.
