5th Asian Film Awards: KIM Dong-ho, Pusan International Film Festival Founder, Awarded for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema

Official press release:

"Hong Kong, 18 March 2011 – Respected founding Festival Director of the Busan International Film Festival, KIM Dong-ho, is to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema Award at the upcoming 5th edition of the Asian Film Awards. KIM, who oversaw the rise of his festival, the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF, now known as the Busan International Film Festival), to worldwide recognition just as Korean films were beginning to flourish both locally and internationally, is instrumental in the discovery of many new Asian talents since BIFF’s establishment in 1996.

The Asian Film Awards (AFA) is committed to honouring filmmakers with outstanding achievements in the field of Asian cinema. The 5th Asian Film Awards Presentation Ceremony will take place on 21 March 2011 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

One of the most well-known figures in the Korean film industry, KIM Dong-ho was the Vice Minister of Korea’s Ministry of Culture and Information before becoming President of the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation (now known as the Korean Film Council). During that time, he was involved in drawing up blueprints on much of modern Korea's cultural policies and infrastructure. He co-founded PIFF in 1996 and since then has gone on to champion new Asian talents with festival initiatives such as the New Currents Competition, the Pusan Promotion Plan, the Asian Film Academy Workshops and the Asian Cinema Fund, among others. Though he retired as Festival Co-Director last year after 15 years of leadership, he remains as PIFF’s Honorary Festival Director.

KIM was awarded the Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et de Lettres by the French government in 2000. He has served on the jury of numerous film festivals such as Cannes, Rotterdam and San Sebastian.

“KIM Dong-ho is one of the giants of our industry – a tireless promoter of Asian cinema who is immensely knowledgeable, well-respected and well-connected. From his time at the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation to the years shepherding the Pusan International Film Festival, he is known as the face of Korea’s film industry. As such, the AFA would like to honour Mr. KIM for his dedication and his passion for cinema throughout the years,” commented Mr. Wilfred WONG SBS JP, Chairman of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS), the organiser of the AFA.

In addition to the 14 individual awards, this year’s AFA will present 4 special awards to recognise the outstanding efforts and careers of individual film professionals and companies in the Asian film industry. The Awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema, Award for Promotion of Asian Cinema and Award for 2010’s Top-Grossing Film."