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Korea Herald
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Jeonju International Film Festival wraps up ten-day showcase
Documentary on Nepali migrant workers brings the curtain down on Korea's premier independent film event JEONJU, North Jeolla Province — The 26th Jeonju International Film Festival concluded its ten-day run on Friday evening, capping off an event that presented 224 films from 57 countries to over 70,000 attendees. This year's edition maintained its focus on independent and experimental cinema, with 80 works making their world premieres across various sections. Earlier in the week, American director Joel Alfonso Vargas's family drama "Mad Bills to Pay" took home the Grand Prize in the international competition, while Cho Hyun-suh's "Winter Light" received the top honor in the Korean competition. Press conference highlights solid attendance despite challenges At a press conference held Friday afternoon at the Jeonju Digital Independent Cinema, festival organizers reflected on this year's achievements. According to the organizing committee, the festival recorded an 81.6 percent seat occupancy rate— a 2.3 percentage point increase from the previous year. Of the 586 screenings, 448 sold out completely, marking a notable rise from last year's turnout. The robust numbers came in spite of financial headwinds, according to Min Sung-wook, co-executive director of the festival. "The Korean Film Council cut our budget by 150 million won with little notice," Min said. "That's a significant loss for a festival like ours. Thankfully, the city of Jeonju stepped in to help cover the gap. We hope the incoming administration shows greater support for cultural and artistic funding." Co-executive director Jung Jun-ho underscored the strength of this year's programming, which featured masterclasses with four leading figures: Korean director Bae Chang-ho, British filmmaker Christopher Petit, Spanish producer Montse Triola, and Portuguese auteur Pedro Costa. "Independent cinema is where film starts drawing its broader canvas," Jung said. "Watching so many premieres unfold here reminded me of our responsibility. Although the industry is facing tough times, we've pushed to bring more films to audiences." Closing ceremony spotlights migrant workers' voice The closing ceremony, held at Jeonbuk National University's Samsung Cultural Center, drew a capacity crowd to the 1,500-seat venue. Actors Kang Gil-woo and Kim Bo-ra hosted the event, which opened with a tribute to this year's award winners. A fusion performance blending traditional Korean dance, pansori and breakdance segued into the evening's centerpiece: a screening of the closing film "In the Land of Machines," directed by Kim Ok-young. The documentary follows three Nepali migrant workers in Korea who contributed to a 2020 poetry collection titled "This Is the City of Machines," which featured 69 poems by 35 Nepali laborers. Programmer Moon Seok introduced the film as a compelling reframing of Korea seen through the eyes of immigrants, noting that Kim brings four decades of experience as a documentary scriptwriter to her directorial debut. Kim appeared on stage alongside one of the film's featured workers, Jiban Khatri, and writer Lee Ki-joo, who translated the poetry collection into Korean. "When I first read the poems, I was struck by the idea that these workers were quietly observing us," Kim said. "They can't speak freely at work because of their vulnerable positions, but through poetry, they offer honest reflections on Korean society and people. I hope this film becomes a kind of mirror— one that helps us see ourselves through their perspective." Khatri, a former journalist and published poet in Nepal who now works at a factory in Incheon, addressed the audience in Korean. "I don't speak Korean fluently, so thank you for understanding," he said, his words halting but clear. "Thank you so much for loving this film. I'll keep doing my best to give that love back." With Lee Ki-joo translating his words into Korean, he continued in Nepali: "When life is hard and you're stressed, you need an outlet for things you can't tell anyone. For me, poetry lights the way— it tells me where to go." The ceremony closed with remarks from Jeonju Mayor Woo Beom-ki, who chairs the festival's organizing committee. After thanking filmmakers, staff, and attendees, Woo touted Jeonju's bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. North Jeolla Province, where Jeonju is the capital, was selected over Seoul as South Korea's official candidate for the Games earlier this year.
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Jeonju film fest announces 2025 award winners
Dominican American family drama 'Mad Bills to Pay' claims top prize, as 'Winter Light' wins Korean competition Director Joel Alfonso Vargas' "Mad Bills to Pay" took home the grand prize in the international competition at the 26th Jeonju International Film Festival, while Cho Hyun-suh's "Winter Light" received the same prize for the Korean competition on Tuesday, at an awards ceremony held at Jeonbuk National University's Samsung Cultural Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Winners across the festival's international, Korean and short film competitions were crowned at the awards ceremony, with 50 films having screened in competition. "Mad Bills to Pay," a family drama, offers an intimate portrait of working-class Dominican American life in the Bronx, New York, through a series of fly-on-the-wall observations. Vargas, himself a Bronx native, could not contain his excitement during his acceptance speech: "I feel like I'm walking on the moon right now. I've never seen audiences like at Jeonju anywhere else — the way they connect with films is truly something special." Chen Deming's "Always" earned the NH Nonghyup-sponsored best picture prize, while Spanish-Portuguese documentary "Resistance Reels" by Alejandro Alvarado Jodar and Concha Barquero Artes received the special jury prize. The Korean competition saw Cho Hyun-suh's "Winter Light" win the top prize. Cho's feature debut follows a high school student struggling with money problems while caring for his sister with a hearing disability. Cho thanked lead actor Seong Yu-bin "for honestly responding to my requests for restraint" and credited her production team for sticking with her vision. Park Joon-ho's "3670," a story about a gay North Korean defector, emerged as the ceremony's big winner with four awards: the distribution support prize, CGV Award, Watcha's Award and best actor prize for Kim Hyeon-mok. The sweep highlighted the festival's ongoing recognition of LGBTQ+ narratives, which festival programmers noted as a key trend in this year's Korean submissions. The newly established Nongshim Shinramyun Award for a director in the Korean competition who demonstrated exceptional promise went to Divine Sung for "Summer's Camera." "I feel like I'm contributing, however slightly, to creating a safer world for queer people," Sung said. "I'll take this as encouragement to keep making films." In the Korean competition for short films, which received a record 1,510 submissions, Hwang Hyeon-jee's "Mistletoe" won the grand prize. Other special awards included the NETPAC Award for Tsuta Tetsuichiro's "Black Ox" and the documentary award for Kim Il-rhan's "Edhi Alice: Reverse." The 10-day festival, which opened April 30th with Romanian director Radu Jude's smartphone-shot "Kontinental '25," concludes Friday with Kim Ok-young's documentary "In the Land of Machines," which follows Nepali migrant workers in South Korea.
