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Kim Dong ho is the Honorary Festival Director of Korea’s world-renowned Busan International Film Festival, and is also currently the Vice Chairman of NETPAC, the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema. In 2010 he became the first Patron of APSA. Kim Dong ho served on the International Jury of the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2007.

MESSAGE FROM OUR PATRON

I am very proud of my association with APSA since I sat on the first International Jury in 2007. Over the past five years, APSA has emerged as one of the world’s prestigious awards in film.

It is also my honour to serve as Patron of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Since it was established five years ago, APSA has encouraged many Asian filmmakers and played a key role in developing Asian cinematic culture.

Through APSA, I have been very fortunate to meet Asian directors like Tian Zhuangzhuang from China and to get to know Iran’s Jafar Panahi better. These memories will last forever.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Des Power and the family of APSA in this year, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and Australia.

I believe that APSA will continue its contribution in bridging different cultures and I wish the Awards a long prosperity.

BIOGRAPHY

Kim Dong ho served as festival Director since the Busan International Film Festival launched in 1996 and in 2010, was made an honorary festival Director upon his retirement from this post. Mr Kim has been awarded many cultural medals in recognition of his achievements and efforts in the cultural development in The Republic of Korea as well as in the international society. In 2000 he was awarded a Busan Culture Award and later the same year was acknowledged with a Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et de Lettres from the French government.

In 2006 he received the Deauville City Medal from Deauville City in France. Since 1997 Kim Dong ho has served on the juries of many International Film Festivals including Rotterdam (as Jury Chairman), India, Buenos Aires, Las Palmas, Venice (as Jury Chairman for the NETPAC Award), Singapore, Seattle, Bangkok, Hawaii and Sochi, in Russia. Prior to founding the Busan International Film Festival, Mr Kim majored in Law at the Seoul National University and received an MA in Administration at the Hanyang University. He had consecutively filled various government posts at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (formerly known as Ministry of Culture and Information) for 27 years. He also served as president of the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation and at the Seoul Arts Center. He worked as the Vice-Minister at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. His book ‘History of Korean Cinema Policy’ (written by Kim Dong-ho et al) was published in 2005.