[News Culture] Travelers and local visitors will be able to catch early short films by some of South Korea’s best-known directors, including Bong Joon Ho, Choi Dong Hoon and Jang Joon Hwan, without ever boarding a plane.
The Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), operated by the Korean Film Council, is launching the Airport Cinema Club at Gimhae International Airport on Sept. 22. The free program will run through Oct. 19 in the public waiting area on the third floor of the domestic terminal, making it accessible to anyone regardless of whether they have a flight.
Marking the 20th anniversary of KAFA’s feature-film program, the showcase brings together 25 short films spanning multiple generations of the academy. The lineup ranges from early works by filmmakers who later became major figures in Korean cinema to recent shorts by emerging directors that have drawn attention on the international festival circuit.
The timing also places the program alongside the 31st Busan International Film Festival, which opens Oct. 6. With Gimhae serving as the principal air gateway to Busan, the organizers are positioning the airport as an informal first encounter with Korean cinema for domestic and international visitors arriving during the festival period.
Airport Cinema Club is divided into three sections. 10-Minute Cinema presents short films by KAFA alumni including Bong Joon Ho, Jang Joon Hwan, Choi Dong Hoon and Lee Ok Seop on three large monitors installed in a standing-bar format.
Cinema Storage displays art books and screenplays connected to the filmmakers and their work, while Cinema Card offers curated cards containing film information and QR codes that allow visitors to watch selected titles on their phones.
All programs are free and located outside the airport’s restricted departure areas.
KAFA director Cho Keun Sik said the project was designed to trace the development of filmmakers who have emerged from the academy over the past two decades and to bring Korean cinema into a more accessible public setting.
He added that the airport’s open environment could give a broader range of visitors an opportunity to encounter Korean films as part of their everyday travel experience.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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