Screen Australia has announced it will sign an MOU on co-production with the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) Oct 4 at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

Screen Australia and KOFIC, signing on behalf of the Korean Communications Commission (KCC), will put the Co-production Arrangement into place after the Korean-Australian Free Trade Agreement, with its annex on audio-visual co-production, is passed.

Screen Australia COO Fiona Cameron said ahead of the MOU signing: “This agreement will ready us to accept applications as soon as the Free-Trade Agreement comes into force, which will permit immediate commencement of official co-productions between the two countries.

“Australia is a great partner, used to working collaboratively.  This new step will present some fantastic opportunities especially in children’s animation.”

BIFF (Oct 2-11) will screen four Australian films including Robert Connolly’s Paper Planes and Tania Chambers’ Kill Me Three Times.

Director/producer Robert Connolly said: “Paper Planes was made with a significant creative and financial contribution from Korea, working with the talented team at EMIG in Gwangju on the 3D conversion and VFX.

“This MOU between Screen Australia and KOFIC is a major step in encouraging Australian/Korean filmmakers to collaborate with support from both countries, and we look forward to working with Korea again in the near future.”

Australia will also open a national stand managed by Austrade in the Asian Film Market, which runs Oct 5-8.