The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Chairman Shin Cheol, hereafter BIFAN) has established the 'AI Video Education Center Bucheon' and is set to train 10,000 AI filmmakers.
On the 19th, at the meeting room of Bucheon City Hall in Wonmi District, Bucheon, BIFAN, Bucheon City, and SBS A&T signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding for collaboration on nurturing AI (artificial intelligence) and advanced technology-based content talent and education. Through this agreement, BIFAN will establish the 'AI Video Education Center Bucheon' and aims to cultivate 10,000 AI video content talents over the next five years, thereby building a sustainable educational ecosystem that promotes the consolidation of local industry and culture.
The signing ceremony was attended by Bucheon Mayor Jo Yong-ik, SBS A&T CEO Kim Jae-jun, BIFAN Organizing Committee Chair Jang Mi-hee, and Executive Chairman Shin Cheol. According to the agreement, Bucheon City will provide educational infrastructure such as the webtoon convergence center, SBS A&T will plan and operate educational programs while building training infrastructure, and BIFAN will be responsible for operating and promoting the AI Video Education Center Bucheon, as well as developing advanced technology-based curriculums and connecting with the film and video industry networks. The 'AI Video Education Center Bucheon' will operate as part of the 'K-High-Tech Platform Project' promoted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and is expected to become a hub for nurturing advanced technology talents.
Bucheon Mayor Jo Yong-ik noted, "It is a great expectation that the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will work together with SBS A&T at such a crucial time, and I hope the festival will lead the AI era and foster many AI talents. I look forward to seeing Bucheon City and the two institutions collaborate to drive new AI-related industries."
SBS A&T CEO Kim Jae-jun stated, "As a member of the cultural content industry and a passionate fan of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and genre films, it is an infinite honor to be here and work together. We at SBS A&T will do our utmost to help nurture creative and technologically advanced global talents."
BIFAN Organizing Committee Chair Jang Mi-hee expressed, "The AI Video Education Center is considered the most valuable program at the festival. I felt a noble value in the nurture of talent through alternatives or education for the predicted future in a rapidly changing era and hope that Bucheon will lead this creative video age together with AI technology."
The background of BIFAN's move to fully commence educational projects stems from the rapid changes in the content industry centered around AI and the need to redefine the role of the festival accordingly. There is a shared recognition that it must transform into a platform that provides the foundation for a creative ecosystem suitable for an era where technology and creativity converge, moving beyond the traditional role of a film festival. Consequently, BIFAN plans to shift to a system that continuously operates AI and advanced technology-based education and expand its role as a hub platform for cultivating converging talents equipped with creativity and technical competence. The goal of training 10,000 talents over five years is a strategic declaration to effectively establish the competitiveness of the content industry in the AI era starting from the local level. This shows that BIFAN is evolving in a way that maintains the inherent creativity and public nature of the festival while contributing to the Korean film industry and society as a whole.
This agreement is expected to serve as a catalyst for BIFAN's educational business expansion and the formation of a content industry cluster centered around Bucheon City. The three institutions will establish a collaborative model in which the industry, film festival, and local community participate together, and they plan to establish a virtuous cycle structure for the content ecosystem that proceeds from 'creation → education → industrialization.'
After the signing ceremony, an AI work screening session featuring works produced at the 'Fantasy Film School AI Workshop' was also held. Executive Chairman Shin Cheol, who hosted the screening, said, "I hope outstanding talents are nurtured in the cultural and arts city of Bucheon." A total of seven works were screened during the event.
Meanwhile, the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will take place from the 3rd to the 13th of next month in the Bucheon City area.
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