European Premiere | Documentaries | Out Of Competition
South Korea, 2026, 104’, Korean, English, Japanese, Mandarin, etc.
Directed by: Kim Dong-ho
Cinematography (color): Lee Seong-taek
Editing: Kim Hyeong-ju
Sound Recording: Kim Dong-sik
Music: Jo Young-wook
Producers: Kwon Young-rak, Kim Young, Han Sunhee, Kim Dong-hyun, Park Min-jeong
Cast: Kim Dong-ho, Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Chang-dong, Johnnie To, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Tang Wei, Yang Keui-mei, Garin Nugroho, Tsai Ming-liang, etc.
Date of First Release in Territory: February 19th, 2026
Anyone who works in the Korean film industry, or who has attended the Busan International Film Festival in its early years, will be familiar with Kim Dong-ho. In the mid-1990s, a group of film critics from Busan came to him with the idea of launching Korea’s first international film festival, and it was his organizational and networking skills that made the festival’s launch possible. He served as Festival Director for 15 years before retiring in 2010, and he has continued to be active in the festival community ever since (including a return to the festival as Chairman for several years in the late 2010s when it faced a political crisis).
Mr. Kim has always been famous for his energy, so for those who know him, it’s not surprising to see him still active years after his retirement. But he did surprise just about everyone by completing his feature film debut at the age of 88.
Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema is a documentary that doubles as a love letter to cinema, and in particular, the experience of sitting in a dark theater watching a film. In this age when streaming and mobile phones have transformed the film viewing experience, Mr. Kim starts off his documentary with a simple idea: to meet filmmakers around the world who have devoted their lives to cinema, and ask them the question, “What does the cinema mean to you?”
During his time as festival director at BIFF, Kim Dong-ho was an incredibly effective networker. So the roster of people he interviews in this documentary reads like a list of the most acclaimed names in Asian cinema. From South Korea there’s Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Chang-dong, Im Kwon-taek, and many, many others. Outside of Korea, there’s Kore-eda Hirokazu, Tsai Ming-liang, Johnnie To, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Tang Wei, Yang Keui-mei, Garin Nugroho, and many more. Mr. Kim also travels to Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia, seeking out certain theaters that hold special meaning for their local film communities. He also takes the time to speak to some less famous people who hold important jobs in the industry: independent distributors, theater operators, and so on.
The end result is a documentary that starts as a series of pleasant conversations, but which gradually takes on weight and significance as it progresses. The people he speaks to come from different backgrounds, and have all had different experiences working in the film industry, but their passion for cinema and their love of watching films unites them. Because of this, listening to them speak has a cumulative effect, and is quite moving in parts. Meanwhile, there is the figure of Mr. Kim himself, quietly persistent in his questions, always eager to hear more about each person’s personal journey through cinema.
Kim Dong-ho
Kim Dong-ho received a law degree from Seoul National University in 1960 and then spent many years working as a public servant at the Ministry of Culture. He was appointed head of the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation in 1988, and named Vice Minister of Culture in 1993. From 1996, he served as the first Festival Director of the Busan International Film Festival, helping the event to attain global recognition. After stepping down in 2010 he has continued to hold various positions within the festival community. Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema is his feature debut.
FILMOGRAPHY
2012 – Jury (short film)
2026 – Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema