26/09/2008

The UK Film Council (UKFC) and UK trade and investment are putting their weight behind British companies participating at this year’s Asian Film Market (AFM) in Pusan (October 3-6), the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF, Oct 2-10) and the Pusan Promotion Plan (October 3-10).

British films being promoted at the AFM include Gabor Csupo’s The Secret of Moonacre [+see also:
trailer
Interview [GB]
film profile], Peter Howitt’s Dangerous Parking and Matthias Hoene’s Cockneys Vs Zombies.

British films being screened at PIFF are Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Rupert Wyatt’s The Escapist [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Terence Davies’ Of Time and the City [+see also:
trailer
film profile], David Rocksavage’s Shadows in the Sun, Christine Molly and Joe Lawlor’s Helen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joe Lawlor and Christine M…
film profile], Charles Martin Smith’s Stone of Destiny and Peter Greenaway’s Rembrandt’s J’Accuse.

The Pusan Promotion Plan will include UK writer and director Simon Rumley’s project Stranger.

Sarah McKenzie, Senior Executive of Export Development at the UKFC, said, “The festival continues to be an invaluable opportunity to reinforce the bond between the British film industry and the ever-growing and dynamic Asian market. This year we will also be celebrating the success of the co-distribution agreement between the UK and South Korea, which has established itself as a valuable mechanism for securing strong links between our two markets.”

Pete Buckingham, Head of Distribution and Exhibition at the UKFC, said, “There’s a real appetite for foreign films in the UK and the Asian industry is one of the most exciting and fastest growing cinema markets in the world. We’re glad to see that the co-distribution agreement is enabling a reciprocity in film distribution between South Korea and the UK that is helping to give audiences in both countries more choice.”