Korean film programmer named knight of French arts and letters

Nam Jong-suk / Courtesy of Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

Nam Jong-suk, a programmer for the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), has been awarded France’s Chevalier rank in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, marking the first time a film festival programmer in Korea has received the distinction.

The festival, which opens its 30th edition on Thursday, said Nam received the honor in recognition of his contributions to film programming and international cultural exchange.

The French Ministry of Culture’s Order of Arts and Letters is one of the country’s highest cultural honors and is divided into three ranks: Commandeur, Officier and Chevalier.

Nam’s recognition is significant because it is the first awarded to a programmer, rather than a director or performer.

The French government said it decided to confer the honor in October 2025 in recognition of Nam’s work promoting Korea-France film exchange, including through the 2025 NAFF Project Market program Focus: France.

Philippe Bertoux, the French ambassador to Korea, said Nam’s career has helped open new horizons and offer innovative perspectives in cinema.

“The award expresses deep gratitude and respect for your outstanding achievements in contributing to the development of film,” Bertoux said.

Nam began his career in film as part of the production team for the 1996 film Jungle Story and joined the Busan International Film Festival in 1997, where he worked on retrospectives and industry programs.

He later served as secretary-general of the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema and has been a programmer for BIFAN.

He has also served as a selection advisor and juror for international festivals, including Sitges Film Festival in Spain, the Hong Kong Asian Film Awards, Ventana Sur in Argentina and the Mumbai film circuit in India.

The Chevalier award ceremony will be held during the BIFAN opening ceremony on Thursday in Bucheon. The French ambassador is set to attend.

The festival runs from July 2 to July 12 across Bucheon.

In Korea’s film industry, previous recipients include actors Jeon Do-yeon (Chevalier, 2009) and Lee Byung-hun (Chevalier, 2006), as well as directors Bong Joon-ho (Officier, 2015), Kim Jee-woon (Officier, 2018) and Park Chan-wook (Commandeur, 2022).

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.