South Korean filmmaker (born 1970)
Syd Lim, also credited in eastern name order as Im Seung-yong (Korean: ; Born October 20, 1970), is a South Korean film actor, planner, and producer.
Lim started his filmmaking career at Walt Disney, where he worked for two and a half years in the fields of film distribution, marketing, and copyright management. Afterward, he joined Bear Entertainment, marking his producing debut with film "Humanist" (2001). In 2003, he established SIO Film. Then, in 2009, Lim sold SIO Film to Barunson E&amp;A and joined the company, assuming the dual roles of CEO of SIO Film and Vice President (head of Barunson's film division).
In 2012, Syd Lim established Yong Film. Since 2022, Yong Film has become a subsidiary of CJ ENM. After the merger and acquisition in October 2023, Yong Film has become a label under CJ Studio, with Syd Lim still serving as the CEO of the label.
He is highly regarded in the industry for his exceptional ability to identify and adapt films across various genres. He has successfully developed and produced many projects based on comics, novels, and classic tales, which have garnered both commercial success and critical acclaim. Notable examples include Park Chan-wook's "Old Boy" (2003) and "The Handmaiden" (2016), as well as Kim Dae-woo's "The Servant" (2010), among others.
Early life and education.
Lim developed a passion for movies during high school. He would pretend to study hard just to watch MBC's movie program, Weekend Masterpiece every Saturday without getting scolded by his mother. When his parents made the decision to emigrate to the United States, he saw it as an opportunity to pursue his passion and chose to stay behind. When he visit his home in US during his three months vacations, he would rent videos from various places, including the USC Library and UCLA Library. He developed a particular fondness for French films like René Clément's "Purple Noon" which starred Alain Delon, and Claude Lelouch's "A Man and a Woman." Despite not fully grasping the storyline "Purple Noon," he found it so captivating that he ended up keeping the rented video past its due date. Additionally, he watched Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" more than 30 times, as he had a habit of attentively studying and analyzing a single film. Mystery movies also held a special place in his heart, with Alfred Hitchcock being one of his favorite directors.
Lim graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in Korean Language and Literature. He made a decision to renounce his U.S. green card and did his mandatory military enlistment. After serving a full two years, two months, and six days, he was discharged. Prior to that, during a break from military duty, he had a casual conversation over drinks with an acquaintance who offered him an interview opportunity. Soon after discharging, Lim joined Walt Disney Korea's direct distribution agency. During his two and a half years at Disney, he had the privilege of reviewing upcoming film scripts. He also actively participated in an overseas promotional tour. The experience proved to be invaluable in terms of acquiring knowledge and tools related to film distribution, copyright management, and marketing, all of which are important within the commercial film industry.
During his time at Disney, he pursued his studies in the Graduate School of Korean Language and Literature at Yonsei University. His master's thesis, titled 'A Study on Scenario Adaptation of a Novel – Focusing on "The Aimless Bullet" (1961)', analyzed the differences between the screenplay of Yu Hyun-mok's film adaptation of "The Aimless Bullet" and the original novel by Yi Bom-seon.
Career.
Early career (2000–2003).
Lim began his career as a producer immediately after leaving Disney. This transition came about following a significant event in his life: the unexpected passing of his mother, who was the sole supporter of his filmmaking aspirations."It was a significant blow when my mother, who was the only one in my family to support my passion for filmmaking, passed away. At that time, Kim Dae-woo, a renowned screenwriter, unexpectedly summoned me to Chungmuro. He reprimanded me, asking why someone who wanted to pursue filmmaking was hiding. His words deeply resonated with me: "Even if you stumble, get hurt, and tumble, you have to experience it firsthand to understand the path downward. If you continue clinging from above, you will never truly know, right?""Afterward, Lim obtained employment at Bear Entertainment, where he worked under the leadership of CEO Lee Seo-yeol. His inaugural project as a producer was the film The Humanist (2001), directed by Lee Moo-young. It was during this time that he had the chance to meet Park Chan-wook, the film's screenwriter.
"Spring Bears Love" is a 2003 film directed by Yong Yi and produced by E-son Film. The film stars Bae Doo-na and Kim Nam-jin. It is a romantic comedy about a female employee of a large retail store who borrows an art book from the library for her ailing father. After seeing a relay love letter written in each book, she sets out to find the main character. The film combines elements of romantic mystery drama and romantic fantasy, drawing inspiration from the novel "Le Souligneur" (The Underliner) by French writer Caroline Bongrand.
While taking a break at home, Lim received a recommendation from his junior about the Japanese manga series "Old Boy", written by Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. Intrigued, Lim decided to read it and was captivated by the story. Lim was reported to have first contacted Park Chan-wook with the idea for the project, followed by reaching out to actor Choi Min-sik to confirm his involvement. Lim promptly traveled to Japan to visit Futabashiya, the copyright holder for "manga" "series Old Boy", and signed a copyright contract. It took less than two weeks from the moment Lim read the manga to his decision to go to Japan and acquire the copyright. Just two days after signing the contract, a comprehensive agreement on the project was reached over a glass of Soju.
During the production of "Oldboy", Lim served as the general producer, overseeing planning, storywriting, filming, post-production, and scheduling, including overseas trips. He had close relationship with the people he worked with on "Oldboy," including director Park Chan-wook and screenwriter Hwang Jo-yoon, who was his fellow student for eight years. The production and planning team also consisted of individuals with previous collaborations with Lim.
"Oldboy" depicts the story of (Choi Min-sik), who is inexplicably confined in a hotel-like cell for 15 years without knowledge of his captor's identity or motives. Upon his release, Dae-su becomes entangled in conspiracy and violence while seeking vengeance against the mysterious Lee Woo-jin (Yoo Ji-tae). As his pursuit unfolds, he falls in love with Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), a young sushi chef. The film "Oldboy" has received critical acclaim, and is recognized as an influential cult classic. Its action sequences, particularly the noteworthy single shot, have garnered praise.
SIO Film and Barunson (2003–2011).
The tremendous success of "Oldboy" brought Korean cinema to the attention of film enthusiasts worldwide, leading Lim to establish his own film production company, Sio Film (). The production company was already registered as a corporation. Lim had plans to change his title to CEO from the next work. However, Lim continued working as a producer until his next project. He considered the science fiction genre and aimed to create a company that could consistently produce two or three films a year.
SIO Film made its debut in film production with founding work "Crying Fist" (2005), directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. It was the first Korean film to receive permission to film inside a prison. With a net production cost of 3.9 billion won, it was co-produced with T Film and Bravo Entertainment. The film was showcased in Directors' Fortnight section of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. The film garnered a total of 1,728,477 admissions nationwide.
Lim proceeded to produce The Beast and The Beauty (2005), "Project Makeover" (2006), and "Big Bang" (2007). However these films received a lukewarm response from audiences.
T Entertainment CEO Kim Tae-eun made an announcement on March 15, 2007, stating that the company would acquire Siofilm. Through the acquisition of existing shares, T Entertainment obtained a 29.3% stake in Siofilm, which accounted for a total of 190,832 shares, at a cost of 2.29 billion won. As part of the transaction, Sio film's CEO Lim allocated 1.825 billion won of the stake sale amount to a third party.
Then, in 2009, Lim made the decision to sell Sio Film to Barunson E&amp;A and joined the company, assuming the dual roles of CEO of Sio Film and Vice President (head of Barunson's film division).
Lim's first project in his dual roles at Barunson was Director Jeong Yong-ki's The Righteous Thief. The film centers around a modern-day family of robbers, comprising Hong Moo-hyuk (Lee Beom-soo), a high school music teacher and the 18th-generation descendant of Hong Gil-dong, his father Hong Man-seok (Park In-hwan), his mother Seok Myeong-ae (Kim Ja-ok), and his younger brother Hong Chan-hyuk (Jang Ki-bum). Other key characters include Hong Moo-hyuk's lover Song Yeon-hwa (Lee Si-young), prosecutor Song Jae-pil (Sung Dong-il), and detective Lee Jeong-min (Kim Su-ro).
It was followed by "The Servant," a 2010 South Korean historical romantic drama directed and written by Kim Dae-woo. Starring Kim Joo-hyuk, Jo Yeo-jeong and Ryoo Seung-bum, the film offers a unique perspective on the renowned Korean folktale Chunhyangjeon by narrating the story from the viewpoint of Lee Mong-ryong's servant, the male protagonist. The film surpassed 1 million viewers within a week of its release, and then surpassed 2 million within 17 days. Despite the June 2nd local elections and the South Africa World Cup, the film achieved great success at the box office, attracting a total of 3,014,523 viewers.
Lim once again collaborated with Kim Joo-hyuk in the 2011 film "Couples." Directed by Jeong Yong-ki, "Couples" is a romantic comedy film that serves as a remake of Kenji Uchida's 2005 Japanese film "A Stranger of Mine". The screenplay for the movie was adapted by Lee Gae-byok. The film features an ensemble cast including Kim Joo-hyuk, Lee Yoon-ji, Lee Si-young, Oh Jeong-se, and Gong Hyeong-jin. Notably, this movie marks the screen debut of Lee Yoon-ji who had previously worked in theater. The production of "Couples" were led by producer duo, Seo Woo-sik and Syd Lim.
Yong film.
In August 2012, Lim established his new film production company, Yong Film ((주)용필름). The company's motto, "Crazy, Story, Imagination," is featured beneath its logo. During the logo design process, Lim collaborated with three directors he worked with to define Yong Film's desired identity, as the company serves as their current and future workplace. Park Chan-wook chose "Crazy" to capture the essence of chaos and passion in their work. Jung Ji-woo suggested "Story," as Yong Film places great importance on storytelling and engages in discussions with directors during the development stage, regardless of their personal style. Baik's suggestion of "Imagination" resonated with Lim's preference for narrative experiences that stimulate the viewer's imagination, rather than relying on real-life scenarios. Baik, a close friend who understands Lim's personality well, believed that the combined words chosen by the directors perfectly aligned with Yong Film's overarching motto. These phrases represent a commitment to creating movies with these qualities in the future.
First work of Yong Film was the action thriller film "The Target". This movie is a remake of Fred Cavayé's 2010 French film "Point Blank". Initially, Jeon Jae-hong was slated to direct the project, but ultimately, it was handed over to Yoon Hong-seung (who also goes by the pseudonym Chang). The screenplay was penned by writer Jeon Cheol-hong. Co-produced by Barunson, the film later secured a production and supply contract with a budget of approximately 4.2 billion won, in collaboration with CJ E&amp;M. The partnership between the two companies stipulated a 20% share of the net profit upon its realization. The movie generated significant buzz in Chungmuro even before production commenced, thanks to the involvement of esteemed actors such as Ryu Seung-ryong, Yoo Jun-sang, Jo Yeo-jeong, Kim Seong-ryeong, Lee Jin-wook, Jin Goo, and Jo Eun-ji.
"The Target" was also showcased out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It was released on April 30, 2014, and despite placing third at the box office, it had a solid opening, behind "The Fatal Encounter" (another Korean film released on the same day) and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2". In its first week, "The Target" attracted