New creators from Korea and France recently got a chance to learn about the video production technology of Korean VFX companies and discussed the direction in which the film industry could head toward the future.
Content specialist company Dexter Studios [206560] announced on April 26 that the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and the French Centre national du cinéma et l’audiovisuel (CNC) visited its headquarters in Seoul. The meeting got underway as part of the “2024 ROK-France Film Academy in Korea” co-hosted by KOFIC and CNC.
France is the world’s 7th largest economic powerhouse with a population of 64.88 million and a GDP of approximately USD 2.78 trillion (USD 2,782,905,330). According to the “2023 Korean Film Industry Settlement” report published by KOFIC, among all of the box offices worldwide in 2023, the French box office ranked 5th with USD 1.559 billion (KRW 2.143625 trillion) in sales. This is 25% higher than 8th place Korea (USD 1.24 billion). In particular, France is a major importer of Korean films – 6th in 2022 and 7th in 2023. The country is also home to the Cannes Film Festival, one of the world’s three largest film festivals, and is considered a traditional cultural powerhouse in Europe.
CNC President Dominique Boutonnat said, “France is a country that is very interested in Korean films, and in 2022, it selected Korea as a key country for cooperation in the film industry.” He added, “In fact, previously, we signed an MOU for a film academy with KOFIC in 2023.”
A KOFIC official said, “We wanted to show the next generation of filmmakers that Dexter Studios is capable of ‘multi-player work’ across VFX, DI, and sound. The Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) and La Fémis will continue to organize beneficial programs in the future.” He continued, “We will do our best to develop new talent and promote the development of the film industry by strengthening the ties between Korea and France.”
Dexter Studios Director Kim Hye-jin said, “This was a precious opportunity for us to introduce our company to Korean and French creators. We like to see Korea as the de facto leader of the Asian film industry, and we are a leading producer of ‘K content’ that has been trending on the global market.” Kim continued, “I hope creators in both countries study film production methods in different environments and promote the exchange of IP between the two countries.
This meeting will serve as the foundation for building a new relationship with France and establishing an efficient network that can support our expansion across the European market. We want to create a future where our content is consumed all over the global stage in Asia, Europe, and America.”
