KOFIC-backed Indieground opens FIRST LINK call
The Korean Film Council said around 20 Korean independent features will be selected for meetings, workshops and English DCP support.
Indieground, established by the Korean Film Council(KOFIC), is accepting submissions for the Independent Film Matching Workshop: FIRST LINK, according to KOFIC. FIRST LINK is in its 6th edition this year and connects new independent films without confirmed distributors with distribution and sales professionals.
KOFIC said eligible titles are Korean feature-length independent films completed since January 2025 or scheduled for completion within 2026. Works without confirmed distributors may apply across genres including fiction, documentary, animation and experimental film, while the same work is excluded if 3 years have passed since its first FIRST LINK application year.
The participating works will be screened, with around 20 titles to be selected, according to KOFIC. Selected titles will receive access to the FIRST LINK program, and this year the in-kind English DCP production support previously limited to 5 works has been expanded to all 20 selected works.
KOFIC said a workshop for participating creators will operate during August. The 1:1 business meetings with distribution and sales professionals are scheduled over two days, September 1(Tuesday) and September 2(Wednesday).
Among previous FIRST LINK participants, 3670, directed by Park Joon-ho, participated in 2024 and opened last year, according to KOFIC. The 2025 participant films Manok, directed by Lee Yu-jin, and Funky Freaky Freaks, directed by Han Chang-lok, are set to meet audiences in theaters on June 10 and June 17 this year, respectively.
Korean Film Council Chairman Han Sang-jun said FIRST LINK is 'a connecting platform where independent films without confirmed distributors meet distribution and sales professionals and create new opportunities.' Han said KOFIC would 'continue support so Korean independent films can create new contact points with distributors and more works can meet audiences.'
Submissions will be accepted through the Indieground website from June 22(Monday) at 10 to July 10(Friday) at 18, according to KOFIC. The notice is also available through the source KOFIC page and KOFIC homepage channel.
FIRST LINK is a connecting platform where independent films without confirmed distributors meet distribution and sales professionals and create new opportunities.