From Busan to the World: Hollywood and Korea Celebrate the Power of Global Storytelling
This year’s American Film Night at the Busan International Film Festival put the global nature of modern storytelling on full display, as studio executives, filmmakers, and stars gathered to celebrate the deepening creative partnership between Hollywood and Korea and the opportunities it continues to create on both sides of the Pacific.
Studio executives mingled with stars, filmmakers with industry press, and they all talked business, against the backdrop of the Park Hyatt Busan’s sweeping ocean views and the city’s iconic Gwangan Bridge.
Hosted by the Motion Picture Association in collaboration with the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and The Hollywood Reporter, Urmila Venugopalan, MPA’s Asia-Pacific president and managing director, launched the night and noted the mood in the room and across the 31st edition of BIFF.
“It really does show how much all of our studios are doing in investing in and prioritizing Korea — and this is a perfect venue to showcase that and to demonstrate our collective commitment to this important market,” she said.
That connection between the two industries played out in real time across the night, with a strong Disney presence that included Jon Wax, executive VP of international original television; Carol Choi, the executive VP in charge of the studio’s Asian originals; and managing director of the Walt Disney Company Korea, Kim Soyoun.
Joining them were Korea-based execs from Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures and local studio executives representing CJ ENM, Barunson C&C and KT StudioGenie.
Filmmakers included K-pop Demon Hunters producer Agnes Lee and Bedford Park star and Busan competition jury member Moon Choi, while Alexander Allen represented the U.S. Embassy, and Ellen Kim attended in her role at BIFF’s Asian Contents & Film Market.
KOFIC chairperson Sang-jun Han pointed to the ongoing potential for “tremendous synergy” between the U.S. and Korea, combining “Korea’s exceptional storytelling and production expertise” with “America’s vast market experience and innovative technology.”
Han said the night “goes beyond cultural exchange to forge practical collaboration in investment, screenwriting, and production.”
“It offers us a real opportunity to create more impactful content for the global stage,” said Han. “To realize this potential, we must continue building an environment where creators and professionals from both nations can collaborate freely, honor each other’s cultures, and grow together. Government, industry, and creative talent alike can join hands and open the door to cooperation as wide as it can go.”
Korean star Han Ji-min accepted the MPA-The Hollywood Reporter Trailblazer Award from the platform’s Asia bureau chief, Patrick Brzeski, in recognition of her work, “whose work expands the reach of storytelling, bringing craft, courage, and a distinctive point of view to every new chapter.”
Han first emerged with a scene-stealing role in the K-drama Resurrection (2005), and her big-screen roles include the Blue Dragon and Baeksang Arts Award-winning turn as an ex-convict in the 2018 drama Miss Baek.
“I hope that Koreans and creators from all over the world will communicate and create more meaningful and diverse works,” she said. “I will do my best so that I can do the roles that are entrusted to me well. I would like to thank the people who supported my work and my happiness.”
It was the first time a Korean was honored with the award, and Han follows in the footsteps of Jean Smart, David Oyelowo, Eva Longoria, Matt Bomer, and America Ferrera, as well as Shogun stars Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira.
Han’s next role will show how far the Hollywood-Korean connection has come, as she is set to star alongside Lee Byung-hun in the Disney+ series The Koreans, a much-hyped reimagining of The Americans and a 2019 Golden Globe Best Drama winner. The series will see Han and Lee play North Korean spies living in South Korea during the 1990s.
“I really enjoyed watching the original drama, so I was looking forward to seeing how it would change in a new Korean style, and it was a very meaningful time for me to be able to take part in that process. This is also a new challenge for me, so please look forward to it.”
Allen pointed out that this year’s edition of BIFF promoted “creative connections,” including the Sony Pictures Classics-distributed, Stephanie Ahn-directed romance Bedford Park, starring Cho alongside Son Suk-ku.
“American and Korean filmmakers share a gift for telling stories rooted in their own culture that resonate far beyond their borders,” he said. “Whether through a moving family drama, a bold thriller, or an unforgettable comedy, they invite us to unfamiliar worlds and help us recognize something in ourselves at the same time.
“Every collaboration between our creative industries and every audience discovering a story from across the Pacific adds to the ties between our people. Tonight is also a chance to begin the next chapter. To meet a future collaborator, exchange an idea, or spark a project that reaches audiences in both countries and beyond.”
For more interviews with filmmakers and producers taking big swings in Asia, check out these interviews:
“Shōgun” Star Takehiro Hira & “Tokyo Vice” Producer Alex Boden on Japan’s Cinematic Power
Producer Vanridee Pongsittisak on Driving Thai Film & TV’s Global Breakthrough
Busan 2025: How Locations Shape Asian Productions, From “The Dark Knight” to “K-Pop Demon Hunters”
Featured image: Han Ji-min
