[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] The production team behind the film "Homecoming: Let’s Go Home, Sister" has issued a statement calling on CGV to expand the number of screening theaters.

Director Jo Jeong-rae of “Homecoming: Let’s Go Home Now, Sister” (“Homecoming”) and the distributor, Connect Pictures, issued a statement on the 25th, stating, “We ask that screenings be significantly expanded across major metropolitan areas nationwide and that CGV’s plan to allocate the film to only six theaters be reconsidered.” They also demanded, “Please schedule showtimes that actually allow audiences to choose.”
“Homecoming: Let’s Go Home Now, Sister,” which opened on the 26th, is a 10th-anniversary edition that expands the story by adding approximately six minutes of previously unreleased footage to the original film. “Homecoming,” released in 2016, is a film that depicts the lives and suffering of victims of the Japanese military “comfort women” system.
Ahead of the 10th-anniversary release, the *Homecoming* production team stated, “We were notified by CGV, the nation’s largest multiplex chain, that on the afternoon of August 24, out of 174 CGV theaters nationwide, only six screens would be allocated for the opening day—amounting to just 0.1 showings (one screening) per day,” They raised concerns, noting, “With showtimes scheduled for 9:25 a.m. or 10:50 p.m., it is difficult for audiences to choose to see the film.”
They continued, “We question whether this allocation is truly based on reasonable and fair criteria.” According to the *Homecoming* production team, CGV’s screen allocation ratio was significantly lower than that of other multiplex chains.
The *Homecoming* team stated, “CGV explained that, as of the first allocation meeting on August 20, *Homecoming* had not gained sufficient recognition as a commercial film,” and argued, “This assessment and the policy of ‘additional allocations based on ticket reservation trends’ need to be reconsidered.”
Furthermore, they emphasized, “We request that the historical and social significance of this film, as well as audience access, be taken into consideration,” adding, “In light of the corporate social responsibility and the value of cultural diversity that CGV has consistently emphasized, we ask that you once again actively review the screening theaters and showtimes so that ‘Homecoming’ can reach its audience.”
They continued, “We urge you to responsibly reconsider the theaters and showtimes,” adding, “If our request is not accepted, Connect Pictures and Director Cho Jeong-rae will continue to raise awareness about CGV’s allocation criteria and the issue of audience freedom of choice regarding films, and will keep the public debate alive.”
Today, on the film’s opening day, six solidarity groups—including the House of Sharing, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, the Citizens’ Group Supporting the Comfort Women Grandmothers, and the Busan Women’s Solidarity Conference—issued a joint statement declaring, “As organizations that have worked to restore the victims’ honor and human rights, we express deep concern over the current situation in which opportunities for theatrical screenings of the film *Homecoming* to reach audiences are being excessively restricted.”
In response, CGV explained to Edaily on the 26th, “‘Homecoming’ was submitted for scheduling just a few days before its release, and at that time, the screening schedule for the opening week had already been largely finalized.”
They continued, “CGV does not assign screening theaters uniformly to specific films,” adding, “We operate by comprehensively considering release schedules, audience demand, operational conditions at each theater, and the scheduling status of the entire lineup of films.” They further noted, “We are also scheduling this particular film after comprehensively reviewing audience demand and the operational conditions at each theater.”