No. 158 / Jun 13, 2022
Have you ever been to a film festival? It is an event where many film works are collected and screened continuously within a certain period of time. As Korea’s social distancing due to COVID-19 eased this year, film festivals have regained vitality for operation. Most of the famous film festivals in Korea are international film festivals, where filmmakers, audiences, and reporters from all over the world meet together. Among these, The Ajou Globe (The AG) selected the three most famous festivals.
Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF)
Where Jeonju Dome in Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do When Every May
JIFF has been held since 2000, and has the slogan “Freedom, Independence, Communication”. It is loved by many film enthusiasts because it focuses on non-mainstream films more than other film festivals. JIFF has partial competition, so the entries are evaluated for the artistic part of the film or social issues. There are also many programs like “Frontline”, which shows more challenging films, and at JIFF held from April 28 to May 7, 2022, people could also enjoy various booths like free photo zones. However, sadly, Jeonju Dome, a large theater where JIFF has been held since 2017, will disappear due to the construction of the Jeonju Independent Film House, which is the new theater for JIFF.
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) Where Bucheon City Hall, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do When Every July BIFAN was first held in 1997 and is the largest and best genre film festival in Asia, and part of the Cannes Fantastic 7 program. It introduces not only fantastic genres gathered from all over the world, such as horror and Science Fiction (SF), but also comedies and action movies. It is a partial competition film festival with programs such as “Bucheon Choice”, which highlights the new trend of competition genre movies. BIFAN is also promoting realistic content by opening a Virtual Reality (VR) program for the first time among international film festivals in Korea. It gave a fresh experience to people who needed cultural life due to COVID-19. BIFAN, which is gaining huge support from film enthusiasts, will be held from July 7 to 17, 2022, and people are curious as to what kind of fantastic movie will be shown this year.
Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Where Busan Cinema Center, Busan When Every October BIFF has been held since 1996 and is one of the largest and most representative film festivals in Korea. BIFF selects various films without distinguishing genres, so even Hollywood-produced films are invited to the festival. Since BIFF is a partial competition film festival, it awards prizes through a program called “Wide Angle”, in which short films, animations, documentaries, and experimental films are evaluated. In addition, various events will be held, including “Icon”, which introduces new works by world film masters, and “Korean Cinema Today”, which shows the year’s most significant Korean films. The 2022 BIFF will be held from October 5 to 14, and many people are already looking forward to it because they can see various award winning films that swept the globe in one place.
As such, various international film festivals will be held in Korea this year. Most are focusing on artistic films, not commercial films, so film lovers are really looking forward to them. Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy contemporary artworks in one place!
By Lee Ga-eun, AG Reporter
dlrkdms2231@ajou.ac.kr