Kocca-Supported Animation Achieves Continuous Success on the International Stage

Entry into Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals... Distribution Rights Contracts with the US and France Also Secured

Works supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) have been consecutively invited to international film festivals, gaining recognition for their artistic quality and competitiveness. These include "Gakjil" directed by Moon Su-jin, "House of Existence" by Jung Yu-mi, "Battery Dad" by Jeon Seung-bae, and "Ghosts" by Park Ji-yeon. All of these works received support for independent animation production. KOCCA’s program assists in production, film festival submissions, screenings, and distribution to expand the domestic animation industry base and secure diversity. A KOCCA official explained, “So far, we have submitted 830 works to about fifty domestic and international film festivals,” adding, “This year, we are supporting sixteen works with a budget of 1 billion KRW.”

This year’s distribution-supported work "Gakjil" became the first Korean animation to be invited to the short film competition section of the Cannes International Film Festival. It is director Moon’s graduation project from the Korea National University of Arts’ School of Film, TV & Multimedia. The film was praised for its metaphorical portrayal of a persona created to avoid criticism from others, likened to dead skin cells. "House of Existence," supported in 2020, advanced to the short film competition section of the Berlin International Film Festival this year. It uses a house as a metaphor symbolizing the human inner self to tell a story about our lives. Last year’s supported works "Battery Dad" and "Ghosts" received the Silver Award at DigiCon6 Asia Finals and the Special Award at the Tricky Women Film Festival, respectively. The former is Asia’s largest short animation awards ceremony. A KOCCA official stated, “Last year, nine supported works won awards at fourteen prestigious overseas film festivals.”

Many of last year’s supported works also signed distribution rights contracts with countries such as the United States, France, and Spain. Director Kim Hyun-joo’s "My Child" is a representative example. It signed a five-year theatrical distribution contract with French distributor Whippet, with plans for release not only in France but also in Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. "A Slightly Lacking Woman (Heo Soo-young)" sold distribution rights to the U.S. and France, while "Ghosts," "Dream (Kim Kang-min)," and "I Wish a Meteor Would Fall (Lee Sang-hwa)" sold distribution or broadcasting rights to Spain. "Mascot (Kim Ri-ha)" also sold educational rights to Denmark.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.