SIFF organizer connects local indie movie creators with distributors

The organizer of the Seoul Independent Film Festival announced Friday that its two-day event “Next Link,” held Tuesday and Wednesday to connect indie movie creators with distributors, was a success.

The event at the Eyelove Art Center in Gangnam, Seoul, was organized jointly with Indie Ground, an independent movie retail and distribution hub created by the Korean Film Council in August.

Short and feature-length indie films had separate sessions during the event where the directors could find suitable partners.

A total of 31 movie directors and more than 40 potential partners, including local film distributors, participated in this year’s offline event, according to the organizer. Some 106 business meetings were held.

The first day of “Next Link” saw presentations by four selected directors who showcased new scripts. Many local film companies and original content creation firms such as Ato, Watcha and Aura Pictures attended the presentations and met privately with directors.

Indie Ground will launch a program called “First Link” in March, primarily to support directors of short indie films who are just starting out in their careers. The indie film distribution hub hopes to offer film distribution 101 classes and workshops through this program.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)