▲ From left, film director Namgung Sun, CJ ENM film planning and production team producer Kim Sung-hyun, and director Lim Sun-ae pose during an interview with Yonhap News at the CJ ENM Center in Mapo District, Seoul, on Jan. 21, 2026, about the film "30 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Quit Movies." (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- 

First unveiled at the 30th Busan International Film Festival last year, the omnibus film “30 Reasons You Shouldn’t Quit Movies” was conceived to mark the 30th anniversary of the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA).

 

The project brings together 30 short films made by 30 KAFA alumni directors, each running just over three minutes. Combined into a feature-length omnibus, the work is structured in three chapters — “Warm-Up,” “Abyss” and “Explosion.” The films have been released sequentially since Jan. 14, with the combined version set for a five-day theatrical run starting Feb. 4.

 

“Making a feature takes a long time, but shorts deliver results quickly. It felt like a festival where we could work together fast, and that was fun,” director Lim Sun-ae said.

 

“Having your work guaranteed to be released isn’t common. I even handled art and sound design myself, which allowed creative energy to flow. It was tremendously enjoyable,” said director Namgoong Sun.

 

The two directors spoke to Yonhap News on Tuesday at CJ ENM Center in Seoul, recalling the project as a joyful memory despite tight budgets and schedules.

 

The project began with the idea of having 30 directors each make a three-minute film to commemorate KAFA’s founding in 1995. Production company Ato, formed by KAFA alumni, proposed the project to CJ ENM for investment and distribution. The fact that last year also marked CJ’s 30th anniversary in the culture business added further significance.

 

CJ ENM producer Kim Sung-hyun said the company joined the project with an eye toward discovering new creators and ideas.

 

Lim directed “Come Easy,” a short that plays on wordplay and draws from her experience of feeling that her scripts — or even her own existence — were treated lightly. The final scene features the phrase “Draft No. 30,” reflecting the countless revisions scripts undergo.

 

Namgoong directed “Before We Die,” a rhythmic conversation-driven piece in which characters debate the value of film and what constitutes a “real movie,” while also offering criticism of editing software companies.

 

Actors Ki Joo-bong and Jeon Hye-jin appear in “Come Easy,” while Choi Sung-eun and Shin Eun-soo star in “Before We Die,” lending weight to the shorts.

 

Among the 30 films, cinema itself emerges as the most recurring theme. Reflecting this, the omnibus — initially screened at festivals as “Project 30” — was released under the title “30 Reasons You Shouldn’t Quit Movies.”

 

While some shorts reflect pessimism about the current state of Korean cinema, both Lim and Namgoong expressed optimism that a new era will emerge.

 

“Even if multiplexes are struggling, small art-house theaters are becoming hip among younger generations,” Lim said. “I don’t believe Korea’s century-old film culture will suddenly disappear.”

 

Namgoong added, “Last year marked 30 years for the Busan festival, CJ ENM and KAFA. One cycle has ended and a new generation is beginning. Just look at this project — there’s enough energy for people desperate to make films to create 30 in a month.”

 

Both directors stressed they cannot quit making films that reveal overlooked moments or crack open the senses of life.

 

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]