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| ▲ A debate panel of film experts attend the forum held as part of the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival in this photo provided by the organizer on May 5, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- During a forum held as part of the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival, concerns arose publicly about the overwhelming dominance of 'The Roundup: Punishment (The Roundup 4)' in theaters, amid its enormous box office success.
According to sources from the film industry on the 5th, the screen dominance of a single film became the bone of contention during the 'Forum on Restoring the Ecology of the Korean Film Industry,' held at the Jeonju Central Vision Center on the 2nd,
Lee Ha-young, the CEO of production company Haha Films, pointed out the issue of screen domination by 'The Roundup 4,' stating, "Isn't this just too much? Is it fair to let it happen like this?"
Attended by various figures from the film industry, including those participating in the Jeonju International Film Festival, which commenced on the 1st of this month, the forum was organized by five film organizations including the Korean Film Producers Association.
'The Roundup 4' sparked controversy over screen dominance immediately after its release on April 24th, with an 80% occupancy rate in theaters. Screen occupancy refers to the percentage of total screenings in a cinema occupied by a single film.
Continuing its success, 'The Roundup 4' surpassed 7 million cumulative viewers on the 4th day of its release, marking its 11th day in theaters. Meanwhile, the majority of other films are struggling to secure screens amidst the competition, making it difficult for them to attract audiences.
Lee questioned, "Is this the fault of distribution and production companies? Isn't it the result of theaters competitively trying to attract audiences?" and raised concerns about how it is detrimental to the film industry.
Lee Joon-dong, CEO of Now Film, also commented, "It has been over 10 years since we discussed the issue of screen domination, but nothing has changed," and argued, "The theaters should be excluded from discussions as a consensus unit of the film industry."
During the forum, it was pointed out that despite the rise in cinema ticket prices, the average revenue per viewer has decreased due to competition among theaters, with the losses being passed on to production and distribution companies. The average revenue per viewer refers to the average ticket price actually borne by each audience member.
Lee Ha-young attributed the decline in average revenue per viewer in recent years to "bleeding competition among theaters," including various discounts and benefits, stating that this burden of declining revenue per viewer is being passed on to production and distribution companies without any consultation. He even estimated the losses incurred by the production company due to the decline in average revenue per viewer for the film 'Exhuma' to be approximately 10.5 billion won.
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| ▲ This undated file photo shows a poster for the Korean film "The Roundup: Punishment" displayed on an electronic signboard at a Seoul theater. (Yonhap) |
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