The 27th JEONJU International Film Festival (Festival Co-Directors MIN Sungwook and JUNG Junho) concluded its 10-day journey from April 29 to May 8 under the slogan “Beyond the Frame.”
This year’s festival presented 236 films from 54 countries in 610 screenings across 21 screens at 5 theaters. A total of 269 program events were held with the participation of 754 guests from Korea and abroad.
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△ The 27th JEONJU IFF Closing Ceremony
(From the left: Festival Co-Directors MIN Sungwook and JUNG Junho,
and Closing Ceremony Hosts LEE Hyoje and JEONG Hadam) |
The festival recorded an overall seat occupancy rate of 82.3%, drawing a total audience of 69,490. Among the 610 screenings, 443 sold out, while major program events, including Master Classes by TSAI Ming-liang and Mike FIGGIS, as well as Journey to Cinema, achieved booking rates exceeding 90%.
The 27th JEONJU IFF officially came to a close with its Closing Ceremony, held on May 8 at the Jeonbuk National University Samsung Arts Center. The ceremony wrapped up the festival by expressing gratitude to audiences and sharing anticipation for the 28th edition of JEONJU IFF next year.
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| △ Closing Film, The Longest Night: Namtaeryeong, Closing Ceremony Performance |
Director KIM Hyunji and the cast of the Closing Film, The Longest Night: Namtaeryeong, attended the ceremony. During the earlier press conference for the Closing Film, KIM remarked, “It was at Namtaeryeong that I encountered a new sense of humanity and possibility, which ultimately led me to make this film,” reflecting on the project’s origins. The Jinju performance group maeckbak, featured in the film, delivered a powerful closing performance that heightened the movie’s emotional depth and sense of immediacy.
Award winners also joined the ceremony, including director LEE Seonyeon, whose film The Summer That Slipped Away won the Grand Prize in the Korean Competition section at the Awards Ceremony held on May 5.
22 Sections, Diverse Discoveries
This year, the JEONJU IFF presented 18 official sections, including the International Competition, Korean Competition, and Korean Competition for Shorts, along with 4 subsections. Among the festival’s 236 selected films were 77 World Premieres, 1 International Premiere, 55 Asian Premieres, and 57 Korean Premieres, continuing JEONJU IFF’s strong focus on showcasing new works.
Following the enthusiastic audience response to last year’s ‘Special Focus: Possible Cinemas,’ the festival officially launched Possible Cinemas as a regular section this year. The section recorded booking rates exceeding 90%, reaffirming audiences’ continued interest in alternative modes of filmmaking.
The festival also paid tribute to the late AHN Sung-ki through ‘Special Focus: Ahn Sung-ki’s Memorable Films Yet Rarely Seen,’ offering audiences an opportunity to revisit and reflect on his legacy. In addition, ‘Guest Cinephile’ commemorated the 100th anniversary of Pere PORTABELLA with screenings of 5 of his films.
A wide range of program events, including Journey to Cinema, JEONJU Talk! Talk!, and Live Film Performance, further enriched the festival experience, bringing together filmmakers and guests from various fields for lively exchanges with audiences.
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| △ Possible Cinemas A Lot Talk GV, Special Focus: Ahn Sung-ki’s Memorable Films Yet Rarely Seen Unbowed |
Production Support Leads to Festival Recognition
The 18th JEONJU Project brought together 193 film industry professionals and facilitated 248 business meetings. A total of 270 projects were submitted this year, from which 8 projects for JEONJU Lab, 2 for JEONJU Lab: Short, and 5 for Work-in-Progress were selected. At the awards ceremony, 18 cash and in-kind prizes across 11 categories were awarded.
This year, the achievements of films supported through the JEONJU Project stood out in particular. Karma by director KIM Myunwoo, an alumnus of JEONJU Lab and K-DOC CLASS, won both the Special Jury Prize and the Documentary Award in the Korean Competition section. A LITTLE LIFE by director KIM Yongcheon, presented through the JEONJU Cinema Project, was also produced with the same support program.
Among the selected Work-in-Progress projects, Wrinkles of Life by director LEE Sangmoon was selected for the Distribution Grant and received KRW 5 million in distribution support. Continued attention is also being paid to the future trajectory of these supported projects.
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| △ JEONJU Project A LITTLE LIFE GV, The 18th JEONJU Project Distribution Grant Winner Wrinkles of Life |
10 Days with the Audience
During the first 5 days of the festival, including the opening holiday period, the festival recorded an approximately 3% increase in seat occupancy compared to the same period last year. The Goods Shop achieved record-breaking performance with a 3% year-on-year sales increase. Enthusiastic crowds gathered from the early morning hours, with waiting lines peaking at 120 people.
Audience participation events and side programs also drew strong attendance throughout the festival. Street Screening, known for the unique atmosphere of JEONJU IFF, expanded this year to accommodate growing audience demand and welcomed a total of 4,175 participants. In addition, the Street Screening held at Pungnammun Gate introduced wireless headphones, further enhancing the outdoor screening experience.
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| △ Goods Shop, Street Screening (Pungnammun Gate) |
At Jeolla Gamyeong, KOLON SPORT Outdoor Cinema took place over the weekend, offering an immersive outdoor viewing experience with tent seating and welcoming approximately 1,000 audiences in total.
Special Program: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in JEONJU, presented in collaboration with Jeonju Tourism Hub City and Universal Studios, was held at Film Street and Gyeonggijeon Shrine in Hanok Village. The program featured a variety of attractions, including pop-up events, photo zones, outdoor screenings, and live performances of the film’s OST.
Celebrating its 12th edition this year, 100 Films 100 Posters was held at Subculture Center JAKDANG and Film Street. The salon program, first introduced last year, also received an enthusiastic response, selling out immediately upon ticket release. The exhibition at the Subculture Center JAKDANG will continue through May 17, while the media wall exhibition at Shinsegae Duty Free Main Store will run through the end of June.
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| △ Special Program: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in JEONJU, 100 Films 100 Posters |
At Film Street, interactive brand experiences, including the NONGSHIM SHIN RAMYUN pop-up, drew strong responses from festival audiences and local citizens alike. Through projects such as the NONGSHIM SHIN RAMYUN 40th Anniversary film production and screening, as well as the second consecutive presentation of films produced by FUJIFILM, participating companies moved beyond conventional promotion to deliver their brand narratives and messages through cinema. These collaborations drew attention as examples of a new partnership model between film festivals and corporations.
This year, the JEONJU IFF evolved beyond a venue for screenings into a space where cinema could linger and continue to resonate. TSAI Ming-liang selected Jeonju as a filming location for his ‘Walker’ series, while the newly established Possible Cinemas section emerged as one of the festival’s defining programs amid enthusiastic audience support.
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| △ Film Street |
As reflected in its slogan, “Beyond the Frame,” the JEONJU IFF once again expanded new possibilities in its own distinctive way. Carrying the memories shared with audiences throughout this year’s edition, the festival will return next spring with the 28th JEONJU IFF. |
