Gyeonggi Province Achieves Major Success in Supporting Diversity Films... Number of Independent Film Theaters Increases to Four

The number of dedicated independent film theaters in Gyeonggi Province has increased to four.

On March 9, Gyeonggi Province announced that the "Gyeonggi Indie Cinema" located in Gwanggyo, Suwon, received official approval as a dedicated independent film theater from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on February 24. As a result, there are now a total of four independent film theaters in the province.

A dedicated independent film theater is a screening venue officially approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the Act on the Promotion of the Motion Pictures and Video Products. These theaters are required to screen independent films for at least 60% of their actual annual screening days.

The independent film theaters currently operating in Gyeonggi Province are: Gyeonggi Indie Cinema (Lotte Cinema Gwanggyo Hall 1), Heyri Cinema in Paju, MyungHwa Theater in Ansan, and CGV Ori in Seongnam. The Gyeonggi Indie Cinema is especially notable as it is the first independent and art film theater in Korea to be directly operated by a public institution, namely Gyeonggi Province.

Dedicated independent film theaters specialize in screening independent films, playing an important role in securing the distribution of Korean independent films and revitalizing the low-budget film market.

Once designated as a dedicated independent film theater, the venue becomes eligible for a range of support from the Korean Film Council, including operation subsidies, promotional and programming expenses, facility improvement costs, and equipment support for projection and ticketing.

Since opening in April last year, Gyeonggi Indie Cinema has supported the year-round screening of a diverse array of films, such as independent and art films as well as documentaries, which are distinct from commercial movies. The theater also hosts a variety of related events, including director talks.

Last year, Gyeonggi Indie Cinema screened 87 independent films, attracting 11,806 viewers.

Interior view of Gyeonggi Indie Cinema in Suwon

In order to foster diversity in the film industry ecosystem and expand cultural opportunities for residents beyond the mainstream, large-scale commercial film environment, Gyeonggi Province is carrying out the "Diversity Film Promotion" project in addition to operating dedicated independent film theaters.

First, Gyeonggi Province organizes special screenings to support the free screening of diverse films. The province also provides community screenings by visiting local organizations and institutions, and when feature-length independent films are released, it offers promotional marketing support to production and distribution companies based in the province.

Furthermore, residents can directly participate in investment and funding through crowd-funding and fractional investment. The province also holds small-scale film festivals that support prosumer projects and cover essential costs for film festival operations, including venue rental fees, screening fees, and promotional expenses.

Kang Jisook, Director of Content Industry at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "With the addition of this newly designated independent film theater, Gyeonggi residents will have even more opportunities to discover a wide range of independent and art films," adding, "We will continue our efforts to foster the local independent film ecosystem and enhance film culture in the region."

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