[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Korean films depicting stories from Busan are reaching audiences in Brazil and Colombia, and short films that were once only available at film festivals are now connecting with thousands of viewers. Over-the-top (OTT) services are reshaping the distribution landscape for Korean cinema and opening up new opportunities for creators.
Director Namgung Seon, who directed the Netflix film *The History of Confession*, and co-directors Wi Eun-kyung and Son Gwang-min of the short film *Aunt Sun-hee* attended “Creative Asia 2026”(Creative Asia 2026), held at Dongseo University’s Centum Campus in Busan on the 10th, and discussed the expansion of their audience base through OTT platforms as well as the changing landscape of film production and distribution.
The event, a program to nurture the next generation of creators jointly organized by the Busan International Film Festival and Netflix, marked its third year this year. The three directors participated in a panel discussion titled “New Voices in Film Directing: What’s Next?” moderated by Jeong Ji-hye, a programmer at the Busan International Film Festival.

◇“Connecting with People Around the World… A Festival-Like Experience”
What drew the most attention was the global box office success of director Namgung Seon, who directed the Netflix film “A History of Confessions.” Set in Busan in 1998, “A History of Confessions” depicts the love and growth of young people. In the first week of September last year—its second week of release—it topped Netflix’s global Top 10 list for non-English films and remained in the Top 10 for six consecutive weeks.
Director Nam said, “I heard from friends in Brazil, Poland, and Colombia that the film was popular there as well,” adding, “It ranked No. 1 in many countries and remained in the global Top 10 for over six weeks.” She continued, “It’s a story made in our own language—truly a story of Busan, Korea. It’s a very local story, so while I’m proud that so many people have embraced it, above all, I found it amazing.”
The disappointment of not being able to meet audiences in person at theaters was also alleviated in a new way. Director Nam reflected, “In theaters, actors and audiences can share the experience of crying and laughing together, but we couldn’t do that this time.” He continued, “Once the film was released, people all over the world watched it simultaneously and discussed it together on social media. It was a truly festive experience.”
For Director Nam, who previously directed the independent and art films *Ten Months into the Future* and *Time to Be Strong*, *A History of Confessions* marks his first commercial film. He explained that while his earlier works tackled socially sensitive issues, this time he wanted to create a film that would bring joy to audiences.
Director Nam shared the inspiration behind the project, saying, “I received the offer at a time when I was thinking, ‘I wish there were more joy in the world, and I want to find joy myself,’ so I decided to work on a film that would put audiences at ease.”
He also touched on the differences between independent filmmaking and production on major streaming platforms. “Since this was my first commercial film, I expected many things to be different, but aside from the scale, it wasn’t that different,” Director Nam explained. “Even while receiving a lot of support, creative freedom was guaranteed within the team, and we were able to work flexibly.”

◇Short Films Step Out of Film Festivals… Expanding Reach to Audiences
OTT platforms have also become a new arena of opportunity for short film creators. “Aunt Sun-hee,” which won three awards at this year’s Mise-en-Scène Short Film Festival, is a 24-minute short film depicting a single day in the life of an aunt who works as a dog groomer and cares for stray dogs, when her nephew—whom she raised 10 years ago—comes to visit her home. Directed by co-directors Wi Eun-kyung and Son Gwang-min, the film stars Director Wi in the lead role.
Director Wi revealed that she conceived the film based on her own experiences with the aunt who raised her. “When I visited my aunt after a long time, she was caring for a stray dog, and seeing the puppy follow her around as if she were its mother made me feel something special,” she said. “Later, when I saw a dog groomer at a local veterinary clinic treating a puppy like her own child, I was reminded of my aunt.”
The two directors are also a married couple. With Director Wei taking on the lead role, Director Son primarily handled on-set direction, while Director Wei managed post-production.
Above all, they emphasized the significance of the greatly increased engagement with audiences following the film’s release on Netflix.
Director Son said, “With our previous film, we received feedback from about 15 people, but this time, 7,000 to 8,000 people watched it, and we were able to gather over 1,000 opinions,” adding, “Hearing what viewers think after watching a film is incredibly important for creators. Thanks to Netflix, we had that opportunity.” He continued, “At first, I was hesitant about an OTT release because there’s a certain texture to the visuals and sound that can only be experienced in a theater,” but added, “It was a fortunate experience in that I was able to reach a wider audience and hear a variety of opinions.”
Director Wi also explained, “Short films are often difficult to access unless you attend a film festival,” adding, “My family and friends watched the film on Netflix and reached out to me, and it’s become much easier to recommend it to others.”
Director Nam assessed that the combination of film festivals and OTT platforms holds significance beyond simply increasing screening opportunities. Having served as a juror at this year’s Mise-en-Scène Short Film Festival, he explained, “We live in an era where anyone can upload their film to YouTube, but selecting good works and introducing them to audiences is another matter entirely,” adding, “The impact has grown significantly because films selected by the festival can now be shown on Netflix.”
Creators who have experienced a wide range of production environments—from theatrical releases to Netflix Originals and festival short films—all emphasized the importance of connecting with audiences. The fact that Korean films with strong regional characteristics are gaining popularity among global audiences, and that short films—which were previously introduced mainly at film festivals—are now reaching a wider audience, demonstrates that OTT platforms are becoming a new channel for expanding the distribution and audience base of Korean cinema.