Chung Jiyoung to Receive Korean Cinema Award at 30th Busan International Film Festival

The 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has named director Chung Jiyoung as the distinguished recipient of the Korean Cinema Award. Chung, who made his professional debut with Mist Whispers Like Women in 1982, has cultivated a forty-year career marked by both critical and popular acclaim, consistently tackling the darker undercurrents of Korean society and exploring themes of generational trauma.

His highly notable filmography includes works that courageously engage with weighty societal issues, such as human rights, justice, and social conflicts. Key films like North Korean Partisan in South Korea (1990), White Badge (1992), Life of Hollywood Kid (1994), Unbowed (2011), National Security (2012), Black Money (2019), and The Boys (2020) stand as testaments to his enduring commitment to using cinema as a tool for social commentary.

Chung Jiyoung’s contributions extend far beyond his directorial output. He has been a relentless advocate for the advancement of Korean cinema and the development of emerging filmmakers. The veteran director has served as an Honorary Chairperson of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and has contributed his expertise as a jury member for institutions like the Asiana International Short Film Festival and the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. Furthermore, he has spearheaded crucial efforts to reform the film industry’s structure, vocally championing the rights and diversity of Korean cinema through his advocacy for the protection of the screen quota system, the abolition of censorship, and the dismantling of screen monopolies held by major conglomerates.

Festival Director Jung Hanseok lauded the selection, stating, “Director Chung Jiyoung has been an exceptional filmmaker for decades and continues to prepare new work as one of the most enduring practitioners. Above all, his life and films are deeply intertwined with Korean history and cinema. I am pleased to dedicate the Korean Cinema Award to director Chung, a truly respected filmmaker, at the 30th Busan International Film Festival.”

In his acceptance statement, the director offered a collective acknowledgment to his peers. He remarked, “I have been making films through the dark days and golden age of Korean cinema, and now face yet another era of challenges. This award is given on behalf of all my fellow Korean film industry colleagues who have weathered these periods together.” He also added a personal note of gratitude, expressing thanks to his wife, who passed away last year.

Born in Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Chung Jiyoung began his path in cinema as an assistant director under Kim Soo-yong. Throughout his career, he has adeptly brought significant Korean historical events to the screen, actively contributing to social change. His influential body of work has earned him numerous achievement and director awards both domestically and internationally, including the Order of Cultural Merit Hwa-gwan Medal, the Blue Dragon Awards, Grand Bell Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, Golden Cinema Film Festival, Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and the London East Asia Film Festival. The director is not slowing down; he is currently working on his new feature, My Name Is, a film centering on the painful history of the Jeju April 3 Incident.

The 30th Busan International Film Festival is scheduled to run for ten days, from Wednesday, September 17, to Friday, September 26, with events centered around the Busan Cinema Centre.