Film Critic Im Jae-cheol Passes Away… A Key Figure Who Led Film Production, Distribution, and Criticism

Film critic Im Jae-cheol, who helped cultivate the foundation for art films by bridging criticism and hands-on work in the Korean film industry, has died. According to his family and others on the 23rd, he collapsed about two months ago and had been receiving treatment, before passing away the previous day at the age of 65.

From a journalist to a film producer… A filmmaker with a multi-dimensional career

After graduating from Seoul National University’s Department of Journalism, he worked as a reporter for JoongAng Ilbo, where he became known as a film beat reporter. After leaving the world of journalism, he didn’t remain only a critic; instead, he took on a multi-layered path that encompassed the entire film ecosystem, including roles as a film festival programmer, film producer, and critic.

He ran the film company Emotion Pictures, focusing on producing and introducing art films, and also served as chairman of the operating committee for the Seoul Cinema Center (Seoul Cinematheque), leading efforts to expand cinephile culture and preserve films in Korea. His career, which encompassed both criticism and real-world production experience, became the groundwork for realistically shaping Korean film discourse.

The legacy of the art-film venue “Film Forum” and the criticism magazine “Film Culture”

Among his achievements, the brightest is his work in cultivating an independent base for art films even within an industry structure centered on commercial movies. The film theory magazine “Film Culture,” which he launched, featured in-depth discussions of auteurism and world film history, broadening the scope of Korean film aesthetics.

In addition, the art-film-only venue “Film Forum,” which he directly operated, moved its location from Jongno to Seodaemun, introducing countless domestic and international art films to audiences. In an environment where the revenue model was unstable, his insistence on maintaining a space dedicated to art film screenings is regarded as a solitary act of dedication aimed at protecting diversity in Korean cinema.

A practitioner of criticism who kept reminding people of film’s value

Im Jae-cheol was a figure who consistently highlighted the unique value of films that cannot be reduced to box-office logic alone. From the realm of criticism used to evaluate works to the areas of distribution and screening that bring films to audiences, he wrestled with both at the same time, devoting his life to creating an environment where viewers could encounter films not as mere consumer products, but as “objects of thought.”

The late critic’s wake has been arranged in Room 13 of the Bundang Seoul National University Hospital funeral home, and the funeral procession will take place at 12:00 p.m. on the 24th.