Korean independent films featured at Community Cinema Festival

“Drive My Car” (2021), “Monster” (2023), “Happy End” (2025).

Although Japanese films have recently been overshadowed by animation, these titles are well known to fans of Japanese cinema. They are acclaimed independent films that have also earned praise in South Korea. Watching these films, Ju Hee, executive director of planning and marketing at Etnaine Film and a former film student in Japan, wondered whether Korean independent films are attracting attention in Japan.

That question inspired the Community Cinema Festival, which will introduce Korean independent films that have not yet been screened in Japan. The festival, organized by the Japan Community Cinema Center and the Korean Art Theater Association, will run from Nov. 9 to 20 at five art theaters in Osaka and Fukuoka. Ju said she hopes it will showcase quality Korean films to Japanese audiences.

The lineup for Japanese audiences includes three award-winning films from the Korean Art Theater Association’s three-year domestic award program: “Kim Min-young of the Report Card” (2022), “Jalhaegodo” (2023), and “Jangson” (2024). Two documentaries about theaters, “Unbroken” and “Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema,” will also be screened.

Ju acknowledged critiques that the quality of Korean independent films has declined but said structural challenges, such as the limited number of art theaters and short screening periods, are an even bigger obstacle. In Japan, a film often continues showing for two to three months, including regional cities, whereas in South Korea, the run usually lasts only two to three weeks. According to the Korean Film Council, South Korea has 66 art theaters compared with 140 in Japan as of last September.

The festival also highlights the importance of art theaters. Korean art theaters, which began at Dongsung Cinematheque in 1995, gained momentum in the 2010s with films such as “Park Hwa-young,” “The Witch,” and “House of Hummingbird.” The pandemic sharply reduced attendance. CGV Myeongdong Cine Library, set to close on Oct. 29, exemplifies this trend. South Korea’s first theater with a dedicated film library, it served as a symbolic space for cinephiles but will shut after a decade.

Ju remains optimistic about art theaters’ future, believing re-screenings can give audiences renewed cinematic experiences. She noted that modern viewers visit theaters less for new releases and more to fully immerse themselves in films. While multiplexes emphasize immersive technologies like Dolby and 4DX, independent theaters can boost audience satisfaction by reintroducing films with unique artistic appeal.


김태언기자 beborn@donga.com