Actors step into film investing, back diverse cinema
Leading actors like So Ji-sub and Jung Il-woo are stepping into new roles as film investors to help bring a wider variety of films to the struggling Korean cinema scene. With declining audience numbers and a domestic film market increasingly dominated by blockbusters, smaller films are finding it harder to reach viewers. Actors’ involvement in importing and distributing independent and arthouse films is now being seen as a move to protect cinematic diversity and expand options for moviegoers. “If actors get directly involved in film import and distribution, risky films that might not be chosen by a wider audience may get another chance to be screened or secure initial investment more easily,” an official from a local film marketing company said on condition of anonymity. So is considered a pioneer of the trend, as the 47-year-old has consistently invested in local distributor Challan Film Company since 2014, through his agency 51K. Their broad portfolio includes acclaimed overseas films such as “Midsommar” (2019), “The Zone of Interest” (2023) and “Late Night with the De
