The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is establishing the AI Video Education Center in Bucheon and aims to train 10,000 AI filmmakers.
On the 19th, BIFAN, the city of Bucheon, and SBS A&T signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding for the training and educational cooperation of talent in AI (artificial intelligence) and advanced technology-based content at the meeting room of Bucheon City Hall in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon.
Through this agreement, BIFAN will establish the 'AI Video Education Center in Bucheon' and aims to train 10,000 AI video content talents over the next five years, building a sustainable educational ecosystem that connects local communities, industries, and culture.
The signing ceremony was attended by Cho Yong-ik, Mayor of Bucheon, Kim Jae-jun, CEO of SBS A&T, Jang Mi-hee, Chairperson of BIFAN Organizing Committee, and Shin Cheol, Executive Chairman.
According to the agreement, the city of Bucheon will provide educational infrastructure such as the Webtoon Convergence Center, SBS A&T will plan and operate training programs along with building training infrastructure, and BIFAN will be responsible for the operation and promotion of the AI Video Education Center in Bucheon, as well as developing advanced technology-based curricula and connecting with the film and video industry network.
The 'AI Video Education Center in 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 training advanced technology talents.
Mayor Cho Yong-ik stated, "It is a great expectation that SBS A&T and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival can work together at such an important time," and added, "I hope the festival leads the AI era and trains many AI talents to drive it. I look forward to the collaboration between Bucheon City and the two institutions to lead new AI-related industries."
Kim Jae-jun, CEO of SBS A&T, expressed, "As a member of the cultural content industry and a passionate fan of genre films, I feel an immense honor to be working together with the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival," and stated, "We will do our best to help cultivate creative and technologically advanced global talents."
Jang Mi-hee, Chairperson of BIFAN Organizing Committee, remarked, "The AI Video Education Center is the program we value the most at the festival. I felt a noble value in nurturing talent through education as an alternative to the predicted future in this rapidly changing era," and expressed, "I hope Bucheon becomes a city that can lead this creative video era together with AI technology."
The background for BIFAN's full-scale educational initiatives is 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 evolve from the traditional role of a film festival to a platform that lays the foundation for a creative ecosystem suitable for an era where technology and creation converge.
Accordingly, BIFAN plans to transition to a system that continuously operates an education framework based on AI and advanced technology, expanding its role as a hub platform for nurturing converged talents equipped with creativity and technical capabilities.
The goal of "training 10,000 talents over five years" is a strategic declaration that goes beyond mere numbers, aiming to practically build the competitiveness of the content industry in the AI era starting from the local level.
This agreement is expected to serve as a catalyst for the expansion of BIFAN's educational initiatives and the creation of a content industry cluster centered around Bucheon. The three institutions plan to establish a collaborative model involving the industry, the film festival, and the local community, and to establish a virtuous cycle structure of the content ecosystem that connects 'creation → education → industrialization.'
After the signing ceremony, an AI work produced at the 'Fantastic Film School AI Workshop' was screened. Shin Cheol, the Executive Chairman who hosted the AI work screening, stated, "I hope outstanding talents are nurtured in the cultural and artistic city of Bucheon." A total of seven works were screened at the event.
The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will be held from the 3rd to the 13th of next month in the Bucheon area.
