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Epoch Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Major South Korean Theater Abruptly Cancels Human Rights Film Festival Bookings
On the eve of the 5th Seoul Larkspur International Film Festival ( The abrupt decision came from MEGABOX Dongdaemun, the official screening venue of SLIFF, one day before the festival's opening on May 30, affecting multiple films documenting the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) human rights abuses. Organizers said they were shocked, and filmmakers said they were outraged. 'This is the first time I've seen something like this happen in Korea,' said Heo Eun-doh, SLIFF's general director and chief curator. 'A theater unilaterally canceling international human rights films—there's no question this was due to external pressure.' MEGABOX is one of Korea's largest theater chains, with more than 100 locations nationwide. According to the SLIFF organizers, they had provided all the materials to the Dongdaemun branch, had signed a contract, and had paid the full rental fee upon the approval that had been stamped by MEGABOX headquarters. Heo told The Epoch Times that his team had been monitoring ticket sales and had found that everything suddenly vanished. 'When we called, they told us, 'We don't support festivals with political nature,'' he said. Related Stories 5/30/2025 5/30/2025 Ticket sales for the festival began just the night before, on May 28, and some showings—including the May 31 screening of ' 'State Organs,' a 76-minute documentary produced by Peabody Award-winner Raymond Zhang, follows the perilous search of two families for their missing loved ones in China, according to the film's synopsis, revealing evidence of state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting, a practice unique to China that involves the killing of the organ donor. Zhang spent Zhang refuted the political allegations by the Megabox theater. 'This is not a political film—it addresses universal values such as humanity and human rights,' he said. 'I believe the sudden cancellation in Korea was driven by interference from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When the film was screened in Taiwan, I received over a hundred threatening emails and messages and was targeted by pro-CCP cyberattacks. I didn't expect similar tactics to appear in South Korea.' Threats of mass shootings, bomb detonations, and systematic hacking were Other films affected by the last-minute cancellation include ' Despite the setback, Zhang emphasized his belief in South Korean society. 'I still believe Korea is a free and democratic country, and its citizens won't be swayed by this kind of pressure,' he said. 'Violation of Artistic and Expressive Freedom' SLIFF is the only film festival in South Korea dedicated to global human rights issues, according to Heo. He said that he and his team had spent a whole year preparing for the film festival, and described the last-minute cancellation as a devastating blow to the festival and a serious violation of free expression, attributing the cancellation to outside political pressure. 'This was not an internal decision. This was a forced shutdown—clearly influenced by external forces. It's a serious violation of artistic and expressive freedom,' Heo said. He said that what is happening now in South Korea is similar to what happened in Hong Kong in 2019, as depicted in 'Revolution of Our Times.' He said this documentary on Hong Kong's democracy movement serves as an example of why these films matter. 'No one has the right to strip away artistic or expressive freedom. And I believe the Korean public understands that. Think about it—a theater unilaterally labeling international human rights films as 'political' and pulling them while tickets are still on sale? There's no way this came from Koreans themselves,' he said. Heo pledged to keep fighting. 'We will not be silenced. We will not back down. We will stand firm, and in the end, we believe justice will prevail,' he said. 'If we remain silent in the face of this kind of censorship, we're not just giving up on art—we're giving up on democracy itself. This cannot be brushed aside. We will make sure the truth is known throughout South Korea and call on people to stand with us. That is our unwavering position.' The film festival organizers have managed to screen 'State Organs' for one listing in KBS Hall, Seoul, on May 30. The documentary has screened in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan, and is The Epoch Times reached out to the Megabox Dongdaemun branch, but the call was not answered. An Jing contributed to this report.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Upcoming ‘sister senators' documentary to be previewed during Charleston event
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — A documentary in the works for several years about the five women in the South Carolina Senate who banded together to block a near-total abortion ban in the state is nearing completion. A sneak peek of the documentary will be shown at a March 20 event at the Gaillard Auditorium in downtown Charleston. A moderated conservation with the 'sister senators' is expected to follow. The documentary follows State Sen. Margie Bright Matthews and former Sens. Sandy Senn, Penry Gustafson, Katrina Shealy, and Mia McLeod as they 'battle political divide and misogyny' in the South Carolina legislature Variety reported. The women gained national attention after they formed a bipartisan coalition to block a near-total abortion ban that did not include exceptions for rape or incest from passing in 2023. The state instead ended up with a ban on almost all abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six weeks. That law is currently before the South Carolina Supreme Court. When does a heartbeat start? South Carolina Supreme Court again takes up abortion issue Later that year, the senators were recognized for their efforts with the JFK Foundation's Profile in Courage Award. But, for the three Republican women — Senn, Gustafson, and Shealy — their stand against the party came with electoral consequences. All three lost their June primary races in the 2024 election, leaving only two women in the upper chamber. McLeod did not run for re-election. The documentary is directed by Orangeburg filmmaker Emily Harrold and produced by Peabody Award-winner Robin Hessman. The event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at 95 Calhoun Street. Tickets can be purchased here. Organizers said proceeds will go to the Southern Documentary Fund to support completion. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
