The 23rd Busan International Film Festival honors Martine and Jean-Marc Thérouanne as winners of the Korean Cinema Award. The Korean Cinema Award is awarded to a person or an organization who have contributed to promote Korean cinema around the world.
Martine and Jean-Marc Thérouanne are co-founders and general directors of the Festival International des Cinémas d'Asie (Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas). Initially, Asian cinema had a limited appeal in mainstream film market, but in 1995, Mr. and Mrs. Thérouanne endeavored to establish an Asian film festival-Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas-in a small French town. Mr. and Mrs. Thérouanne visit the Busan International Film Festival each year to discover new Korean films. Their combined efforts have been notable in helping introduce Korean cinema to France. The festival showcased various Korean films, including acclaimed South Korean filmmakers' works like Im Kwon-taek, Lee Doo-yong, Bae Chang-ho, Bong Joon Ho, Lee Chang-dong, and Hong Sangsoo's works, as well as Korean indie filmmakers' works such as Lee Su-jin, Lee Kwang-kuk, and Lee Yong-seung's works at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas. The festival also showed special interest and affection in Korean cinema by having the ‘Korean Cinema Retrospective' in 2011 and 2016. Lee Myung-se and Im Sang-soo have both been festival's Jury president and Lee Doo-yong (2005), Kim Dong-ho (2011), Im Sang-soo (2016) have all three been awarded the Honorary Golden Cyclo Award. In addition, Zhang Lu's Grain in Ear (2006), O Myeol's Jiseul (2013) and Lee Yong-seung's 10 Minutes(2014) have helped on proving the power of Korean cinema to the world winning top prizes at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas.
“Every year in Busan, come rain or come shine, Martine and Jean-Marc were there from opening to closing. They were always asking people about films and you could see them the next day, at the theaters waiting in line to screen those films. I would shake my head in amazement, realizing what a privilege it is for us to have such strong advocates. Their fantastic work should be acknowledged and encouraged, and the Korean Cinema Award is a token of our appreciation,” commented by Jay Jeon, the new festival director of Busan International Film Festival.
The 23rd Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 4, 2018 to October 13, 2018.
Asian Film Market will be held from October 6, 2018 to October 9, 2018.
Asian Project Market will be held from October 7, 2018 to October 9, 2018.
The Korean Cinema Award will be awarded on the 4th of October at the opening ceremony.
Martine ThérouanneㅣVesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas Festival Director and Co-FounderㅣFrance
Martine Thérouanne studied literature and worked for the specialized school documentalist. She is the Festival Director and the Co-founder of the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas, as well as the chief editor of the VIFFAC's catalog. She has been a current member of NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) since 2003, and she has participated in many domestic and international film festivals as a member of juries, such as the New Delhi International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Lebanon's Cultural Resistance International Film Festival, Vladivostok International Film Festival of Asian Pacific Countries and Hanoi International Film Festival. She has been rewarded prestigious national titles such as the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 2012, Officier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 2018, and Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2003. These prestigious national titles show her dedication for cinema.
Jean-Marc ThérouanneㅣVesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas General Manager and Co-FounderㅣFrance
Jean-Marc Thérouanne–is an archivist and specialized librarian-who initially studied in Law at university and completed a Master's degree in History. He is the General Manager and Co-founder of the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas. He has headed the jury of many of film festivals like Silk Road Film Festival and Kosice Art Film Festival (Slovakia), in addition, he has been a jury member at the Chungmuro International Film Festival in Seoul, New Delhi's Osian's Cinefanand Manila's Cinemalaya Film Festival. He is a regular correspondent for InterCDI Magazine and a current member of NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema). He has been awarded many prestigious awards such as the Officier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 2018 and Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in 2003.
Past Recipients of the Korean Cinema Award (Position held at the time of the award presentation)
22nd
Christoph Terhechte (Head of Berlin International Film Festival Forum, Germany)
21st
Laurence Herszberg (Director-general of Forum des Images, France)
20th
Wieland Speck (Berlin International Film Festival Panorama Programmer, Germany)
19th
Corinne Siegrist-Oboussier (Director of Filmpodium, Switzerland)
18th
Charles Tesson (Artistic Director of Cannes International Film Festival Critics' Week, France)
17th
Hayashi Kanako (Festival Director of Tokyo FILMeX, Japan)
16th
Julietta Sichel (Former Program Director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic)
15th
Bruno Barde (Festival Director of Deauville Asian Film Festival, France)
14th
Riccardo Gelli (Director of Korea Film Festival in Florence, Italy)
Jeannette Paulson Herenio (President of Asia Pacific Film.com, Former Director of Hawaii International Film Festival, USA)
13th
Richard Pena (Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, USA)
12th
Sabrina Baracetti (Festival President of Udine Far East Film Festival, Italy)
Jean-François Rauger (Head Programmer of the Cinémathèque Française, France)
11th
Martial Knaebel (Festival Director of Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland)
Terawaki Ken (Former Director-General of Cultural Affairs Department of Japan, Japan)
10th
Dieter Kosslick (Festival Director of Berlinale, Germany)
Thierry Frémaux (Artistic Director of Cannes International Film Festival, France)
9th
Yano Kazuyuki (Festival Director of Yamagata International Documentary Festival, Japan)
Phillip Chea (Festival Director of Singapore International Film Festival, Singapore)
8th
Park Byoung-yang (President of Asia Film Production, Japan)
Lee Bong-ou (President of Cine Quanon, Japan)
7th
Alain Jacques Louis Patel (Festival Director of Deauville Asian Film Festival, France)
6th
Eva Zaoralovà (Artistic Director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic)
5th
Martin & Anna Louisa Girod (Directors of Stadtkino Basel, Switzerland)
4th
Serge Losique (Festival Director of Montreal International Film Festival, Canada)
Lee Young-il (Film Critic, Korea)
3rd
Gilles Jacob (Festival Director of Cannes International Film Festival, France)
Moritz de Hadeln (Festival Director of Berlinale, Germany)
2nd
Aruna Vasudev (Editor-in-Chief of CINEMAYA, India)
Sato Tadao (Festival Director of Fukuoka Film Festival, Japan)
1st
Adriano Aprà (Festival Director of Pesaro International Film Festival, Italy)
Tony Rayns (Film Critic, UK)
Alain Jlladeau (Festival Director of Festival des 3 Continents, France)
Ulrich Gregor (Director of International Forum, Berlinale, Germany)
Larry Kadish (Programmer of Museum of Modern Art, USA)
Ancha Flubacher-Rhim (Deputy Festival Director of Jeonju International Film Festival, Korea)
Simon Field (Festival Director of Rotterdam International Film Festival, UK)
