[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “I believe the essence of cultural support lies in backing works with low commercial potential. I hope to see more Asian countries supporting one another and producing co-produced films.”

Director Koji Fukada sat down for an interview with E-Daily on the 8th at Dongseo University’s Centum Campus in Haeundae-gu, Busan, where the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) was taking place.

Director Fukada is one of the leading figures in Japanese independent cinema and has consistently received recognition for the artistic merit of his work at major international film festivals. He gained international attention when his feature film *Harmonium* (2016) won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 69th Cannes International Film Festival; *Profile* (2019) was invited to the competition section at the 72nd Locarno International Film Festival; and *Love Life* (2022) was invited to the competition section at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Following the inclusion of “Love Trial” (2025) in the Cannes Première section at the 78th Cannes International Film Festival, his new film “Nagi Note” (2026) has also been selected for the Competition section at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.

Director Fukada is now teaming up with a Korean production team to present the Korea-Japan co-production *Thank Goodness*. This film is one of 16 projects selected for the Korean Film Council (KOFIC)’s 2026 supplementary budget under the Medium-Budget Korean Film Production Support Program, falling into Group A with a net production budget ranging from 2 billion to 3 billion won. It will also receive 60 million won in funding from the Co-Production Support Fund of the Asia Film Fund (ACF), operated by the Asia Content & Film Market (ACFM) under the Busan International Film Festival.

“Thank Goodness” marks Director Fukada’s first co-production with Korea, and he is currently working on the screenplay. He explained, “The project began when a producer who saw my film ‘Love Life’ during its release in Korea approached me with a proposal to collaborate.”

For him, the significance of a co-production goes beyond box office success and profits. Director Fukada said, “The process by which filmmakers grapple with expression and confront various motifs to deepen their understanding of the world is important. I believe that is the essence of expression.”

He added, “I’m looking forward to this project because I believe it will serve as an opportunity to deepen my understanding of Korean culture, Korea, and the Korean people.”

Director Fukada highlighted Korea’s systematic film support system and emphasized that international collaboration can serve as a foundation for creating films with a strong auteuristic vision.

“Japan does not have an organization that oversees the film industry like South Korea’s Korean Film Council,” he said. “Since support comes from various sources—such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and related funds—it is difficult to provide systematic support like South Korea does, and that is a major problem.”

Director Fukada explained, “In Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is the largest supporter of the film industry, and it recently announced a support program called ‘IP360.’ However, this program only supports films with budgets of 800 million yen or more,” adding, “This excludes mid-to-low-budget films with strong artistic vision. The essence of cultural support is to back works with low commercial potential.”

He expressed hope that this collaboration would mark the beginning of a sustained trend of Korea-Japan co-productions rather than a one-time event. Director Fukada noted, “In Europe, collaborative filmmaking is extremely active, and they produce works with a very strong auteur style,” adding, “In the case of Asian countries, these relationships still seem weak. I hope to see more co-productions as Asian countries support one another.”

He also expressed his fondness for Korean cinema. Director Fukada cited Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, and Hong Sang-soo as his favorite Korean directors. Having watched Korean films consistently since 2005, he recalled the first time he saw Bong Joon-ho’s *Memories of Murder*, saying, “I was shocked to realize how much Korean cinema had evolved.”

Among his favorite films, he cited Director Lee Chang-dong’s *Secret Sunshine* and Director Jeong Jae-eun’s *Please Take Care of My Cat*. Regarding Director Hong Sang-soo’s work, he remarked, “I feel inspired by it every time.”

Finally, Director Fukada smiled and said, “I’d really like to work with actor Song Kang-ho at least once.”

Director Fukada visited Busan after his new film, *Nagi Notebook*, was invited to the Icon Section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. Set in the small village of Nagi in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, the film offers a delicate portrayal of loneliness, the family system, and the lingering traces of patriarchy.