South Korea's public broadcaster EBS has announced the return of its highly anticipated annual documentary events that welcome both industry professionals and general audiences. The broadcaster revealed plans for two major festivals scheduled for late August during a press conference held on Tuesday.

The K-Docs Festival, designed to support emerging Korean documentary filmmakers and introduce new local productions to broader audiences, is scheduled to run from August 20 to August 22. This marks a significant milestone for the event, which is now in its fourth year and has adopted the "festival" designation for the first time. This change reflects EBS's expanded efforts to engage both industry professionals and everyday viewers in celebrating Korean documentary cinema.

"This is our third year running the event," explained Hyung Gun, director of K-Docs, during Tuesday's press conference. "For Korean independent documentaries these days, it typically takes over three years on average to complete production and secure a theatrical release." He emphasized the importance of the festival in bridging the gap between production and audience reach, noting that "with some of the K-Docs award-winning projects now completed and being released, the festival is holding screenings so that the films can reach audiences."

The 2025 K-Docs Festival will feature core programming centered around documentary screenings and domestic investor pitch sessions. Three carefully selected K-Docs projects will be showcased during the three-day event: "On the Wings of a Butterfly," "Horoomon," and "Whales And." These films will be screened at venues located in Myeong-dong, central Seoul. International accessibility has been prioritized for two of the three films, with "On the Wings of a Butterfly" and "Horoomon" featuring English subtitles, though "Whales And" will be presented without subtitles. To enhance audience engagement, each film screening will be followed by a 40-minute question-and-answer session featuring the filmmakers and providing direct interaction with viewers.

Running simultaneously with the screenings, the domestic investor presentation will take place across various Seoul venues. The pitch session maintains its established four-category structure: K-Pitch Prime, K-Pitch Fresh, EBS Commissioning Pitch, and Hi-Docs Pitch. These categories collectively offer a substantial support pool totaling 770 million won (approximately $553,000). A total of 27 selected projects will receive production funding and prize money through this initiative.

The festival's commitment to international exposure extends beyond the August events. Outstanding projects will have opportunities for global recognition through overseas pitching sessions scheduled for November at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, recognized as the world's largest nonfiction film festival.

During the same press conference, EBS unveiled comprehensive details about the 22nd EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF), which holds the distinction of being South Korea's longest-running documentary showcase. The 2025 edition is scheduled to run from August 25 to August 31, spanning venues in both Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and Seoul. This year's festival will present an impressive lineup of 62 documentaries representing 35 countries from around the world.

Kim Kwang-ho, executive committee chair of EIDF, outlined the festival's overarching vision during the announcement. "We curated the program with more experimental and multi-layered works, reflecting on how documentaries can capture the spirit of the times and offer new perspectives on society," he explained. This curatorial approach demonstrates the festival's commitment to showcasing innovative approaches to documentary filmmaking.

A notable change in this year's EIDF programming involves the organizational structure of the lineup. Rather than categorizing films by subject matter, the 2025 edition will organize documentaries by production region: Global, Asia, and Korea. This strategic shift is designed to highlight the diversity and evolution of documentary filmmaking practices worldwide, emphasizing regional perspectives and cultural approaches to nonfiction storytelling.

According to EBS, EIDF 2025 operates under the central theme of "Expanding the Boundaries of Documentary." This theme reflects the festival's dedication to pushing the creative limits of documentary filmmaking and exploring new forms of nonfiction storytelling. The broadcaster has particularly emphasized the festival's newly launched "Creative Documentary" category, which will spotlight innovative hybrid works that blend traditional documentary techniques with cutting-edge technologies and artistic forms, including artificial intelligence, animation, and musical elements.

The competitive aspect of EIDF 2025 will feature ten documentaries from the official selection being evaluated by a panel of judges throughout the festival. The recognition program culminates in a top prize that carries a substantial 10 million won cash award, providing significant financial support to winning filmmakers and encouraging continued innovation in documentary production.

These back-to-back festivals represent EBS's continued commitment to supporting both emerging and established documentary filmmakers while fostering greater public appreciation for nonfiction cinema. The events serve multiple purposes: providing platforms for new voices in Korean documentary filmmaking, facilitating international collaboration and exposure, and educating audiences about the evolving landscape of documentary storytelling techniques and themes.