The Korean Film Council(KOFIC) is setting up a series of international training programmes, startingin China, to help Korean filmmakers to work more easily overseas.

The "Business R&DCampuses" will enable Korean filmmakers to meet with and learn from local industryfigures and government officials, in order to adapt to and work moreefficiently in each territory.

KOFIC aims to hold the firstcampus for one week in November in Beijing with around 15-20 participants. It is currentlyseeking to co-organise the event with a government institution such as the ChinaFilm Bureau.

The scheme was one ofseveral international projects announced by KOFIC chairperson Cheongsook Anyesterday.

"Until now, KOFIC'sinternational promotion was mostly based on support for completed films atfestivals and markets," said An. "It's now time to focus on how we are going toapproach different industries, their theatres and marketing."

In an attempt to develop apan-Asian network of film professionals, KOFIC's "Asia Film ProfessionalsTraining Programme" has already recruited two trainees from China Film Groupwho are to be observers at Korean companies such as CJ Entertainment and MKPictures.

Other initiatives include scholarshipprogrammes in Korean filmmaking for foreign students and ethnic Koreans fromabroad and the KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab, modeled on the Sundance Labworkshops.

As part of an initiative topromote more diverse Korean cinema, KOFIC has also signed with Japan's Image Forum, an alternative cinema in Tokyo, to screen independent Korean films for 12 weeks ayear. KOFIC will provide p&a costs up to $180,000 for a minimum of fourfilms a year.

"Japan buys about 70% of Korean film exports, but most ofthat is commercially successful mainstream films. We're going to try to showaudiences that there is more to Korean cinema than just Yonsama films," Ancommented, referring to an idol of the pop culture-driven Korean Wave, BaeYong-joon.