BIFAN Programmer Jongsuk Thomas NAM Named France’s Highest Cultural Honor, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

- First-ever film festival programmer in South Korea to receive the honor
- Investiture to be held at the Opening Ceremony of the 30th BIFAN on July 2

The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Festival Director SHIN Chul, hereafter BIFAN) announced that programmer Jongsuk Thomas NAM has been honored with the Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters), the highest cultural merit awarded by the French government.

The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is one of the most prestigious cultural honors not only in France but worldwide, consisting of three ranks: Commandeur (Commander), Officier (Officer), and Chevalier (Knight). Previous recipients from the Korean film industry include actress JEON Do-yeon (Chevalier, 2009), actor LEE Byung-hun (Chevalier, 2006), director BONG Joon-ho (Officier, 2015), and director KIM Jee-woon (Officier, 2018). More recently, director PARK Chan-wook drew significant attention by being elevated to the rank of Commandeur. Programmer Jongsuk Thomas NAM’s decoration holds profound significance as he becomes the first film festival programmer in Korea to receive the honor.

Throughout his career at BIFAN, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), and the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC), NAM has dedicated himself to expanding the horizons of genre cinema and fostering international exchange. Notably, he played a pivotal role in strengthening cinematic ties between Korea and France through the “Focus: France” program held which was successfully launched at BIFAN’s NAFF Project Market during its 29th edition in 2025. In recognition of these contributions, the French government officially decided to confer the honor upon him in October 2025.

Philippe BERTOUX, Ambassador of France to the Republic Korea, conveyed his congratulations, stating, “The career of Programmer NAM has been a journey of opening new horizons and presenting innovative perspectives. Through this medal, I wish to express my deepest gratitude and respect for his outstanding achievements and dedication to the advancement of cinema.”

NAM began his career in film as an assistant director on Jungle Story (1996). Since 1997, he has served in various capacities at BIFF, including coordinating the Kim Kiyoung Retrospective, festival coordinator, and senior coordinator of the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP). After serving as general secretary of NETPAC, he joined BIFAN in 2007 as a programmer and managing director of NAFF. Beyond Korea, NAM has been active internationally as a nomination advisor for the Sitges FanPitch (Spain) and the Asian Film Awards (Hong Kong), a juror for Ventana Sur Fantastic! (Argentina), a mentor for the Taipei Film Academy (Taiwan), and a curator of AFTER DARK at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival (India). Most recently, he was appointed as the first Korean feature film juror at the Overlook Film Festival, one of North America’s leading horror film festivals.

The investiture ceremony for NAM’s Chevalier distinction will take place at the Opening Ceremony of the 30th BIFAN on July 2, with the French Ambassador in attendance. Celebrating its 30th edition this year, BIFAN will be held throughout Bucheon from July 2 to July 12.

¡á Festival Overview
Title : 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Date : July 2 (Thu) – July 12 (Sun), 2026 (11 days)
Type : Non-competitive international film festival introducing partial competition
Scale : 321 films from 50 countries (170 features, 85 shorts, 38 AI films, 28 XR contents)
Main Venue : Bucheon City Hall, Korean Manhwa Museum, CGV Sopung, LOTTE Cinema Bucheon, Bucheon Art Bunker B39, Bucheon Astronomical Science Museum

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