[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] The CJ Cultural Foundation is setting out to expand the reach of K-content by discovering Korean filmmakers and supporting their global expansion.

The CJ Cultural Foundation announced on the 14th, “At the ‘CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund’ awards ceremony held on the 12th (local time) during the 51st Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, we presented awards and creative grants to the three finalists.”
Based on Chairman Lee Jae-hyun’s philosophy of social contribution—that “a company should be a guardian of young people’s dreams”—the CJ Cultural Foundation supports young creators in underserved areas of popular culture. It is also committed to discovering Korean-Canadian filmmakers residing in North America.
Now in its third year, the K-Story Fund is a support program launched in September 2023 by the CJ Cultural Foundation in collaboration with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) to assist Korean-American filmmakers active in North America with the development of their feature-length debuts and follow-up projects.
For this round of the K-Story Fund, eight projects submitted through an open call held from November of last year to January of this year were selected for screenplay development mentoring. The eight projects shortlisted in the first round received screenplay development mentoring from CJ ENM—in collaboration with the CJ Cultural Foundation—for approximately four months, from March to June, and three creators were ultimately selected from among them.

Serving as ambassadors for this K-Story Fund are Director Maggie Kang, who led the global success of the Netflix animated series “K-Pop Demon Hunters” (K-Demon Hunters), and actor Yoo Tae-oh, who became the first Korean actor to be nominated for Best Actor at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) for his role in the film “Past Lives.” They sent messages of support via video during the announcement of the finalists held on the 31st of last month (local time).
The finalists are Andrea Bang for “I Don’t Understand,” Jiyun June Lee for “The Invisible Land of Love,” and Josh Kim for “Camellia Girl.”
Andrea Bang is an actress and writer known for her role as “Janet” in the drama *The Kim Family Convenience Store*, while Jiyun June Lee is the creator of *Motherland*, a film selected for “Story Up,” the CJ Cultural Foundation’s 2022 support program for emerging filmmakers.
Josh Kim previously submitted his film *How to Win at Checkers* to the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Each of the three recipients will receive 10,000 Canadian dollars (approximately 10 million KRW) to help them focus on developing their projects.
The awards ceremony took place on the 12th (local time) during the “Night of Korean Cinema” event at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Attendees included Min Hee-kyung, Head of CJ’s Social Contribution Division; Han Sang-jun, Chairman of the Korean Film Council; Anita Lee, Chief Programmer of TIFF; and other representatives from the Korean film industry and TIFF.
A special program commemorating the 20th anniversary of the CJ Cultural Foundation was also organized. The event featured the screening of a commemorative video highlighting the process and achievements of discovering and supporting creators over the past 20 years, the presentation of plaques of appreciation to TIFF and the Korean Film Council, and a signing ceremony to extend the K-Story Fund agreement for another three years.
Min Hee-kyung, Head of CJ’s Social Contribution Division, stated, “Over the past 20 years, the CJ Cultural Foundation has strived to expand the K-content ecosystem by discovering the potential of young creators and supporting their growth,” adding, “We will continue to provide support so that creators can thrive on the global stage.”
Building on its collaboration with the Toronto International Film Festival and the Korean Film Council, the CJ Cultural Foundation plans to continue discovering Korean-Canadian filmmakers in North America and supporting the development of their works.
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival runs through the 20th.