"[2024 JIFF] The Festival Has Begun. Enjoy the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival Movies and Events for Free!"

This year, following the complete cut of the government's budget for regional film culture revitalization, the budget for film festival support from the Korean Film Council has decreased by about 54% compared to last year, deepening the concerns of the local film industry. Within the Korean independent film sector, the regional independent film community is facing even greater difficulties, and there is a growing sense of crisis that the ecosystem itself may be destroyed. The loss of strength in regional independent films is a crisis for Korean independent films and, ultimately, will return as a crisis for film festivals.

 

When more people enjoy together, films will return to us. Today, we introduce movies and events that can be enjoyed for free at the Jeonju International Film Festival. On such a sunny spring day, how about taking a stroll to the Jeonju International Film Festival with a light heart?

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Jeonju Cine Tour X Stroll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 25th Jeonju International Film Festival will maintain the festival's appearance by linking it with tourism projects that Jeonju City has been promoting separately, despite the government's budget cuts. The 'Jeonju Cine Tour' program, which started in 2023 to provide new experiences for domestic and international tourists visiting Jeonju, will continue. In particular, the 'Jeonju Cine Tour x Stroll', where beautiful night views and music can be enjoyed for free, will visit Jeonju citizens and tourists from the end of April to early June, before the film festival.

 

Last year, the film , which attracted 120,000 viewers and received great love, and the nominated work for Best Animated Feature at the 96th Academy Awards, , are among the various films waiting for families to enjoy together, including short films curated by the Korean Short Film Distribution Network and barrier-free films. Below are two major screening films.

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​Blue Giant

Blue Giant

Yuzuru Tachikawa | 2023 | Animation | 120min | Rated 12+

May 4 (Sat) 19:00~, Jeonju World Cup Stadium

May 31 (Fri) 19:00~, Jeonju Sebyeong Park

 

 

Always playing the saxophone alone by the riverside, high school student 'Dai' heads to Tokyo to challenge the world's best jazz players. By chance, he meets the genius pianist 'Yukinori' and suggests forming a band, and 'Shunji', an ordinary college student, joins as a passionate beginner drummer, giving birth to the band 'JASS'. Through hard practice and support from those around them, the band JASS takes the stage at the dream jazz club 'So Blue'. The friendship of the three protagonists, each with different colors and textures, and their passion for dreams, sweat, and tears are woven into the jazz melodies, providing an incredible cinematic immersion experience.

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Robot Dreams

Robot Dreams

Pablo Berger | 2024 | Animation | 102min | Rated G

May 11 (Sat) 19:00~, Yeopsun Neighborhood Park

June 1 (Sat) 19:00~, Jeonju Sebyeong Park

 

'Dog', who lived alone in Manhattan, New York, orders a companion robot while watching TV and spends happy days as his best friend. One day, while enjoying a good time at the beach, the robot breaks down. Dog struggles to bring the robot, which is left paralyzed on the beach, but is repeatedly stopped, and the two are forever separated.

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is an animation depicting the dreamlike daily life and friendship of 'Dog', who lived alone in Manhattan in the 1980s, after meeting a companion robot. The two-dimensional characters of , depicted with thick black borders, feel quite unfamiliar to us living in the era of deepfakes due to technological advancements. Another characteristic is that there are no dialogues throughout the more than 100-minute runtime. However, as you watch the poignant farewell of the two characters, by the end of this film, you will be in tears. It won the Grand Prize in the Feature Contrechamp category at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, known as the Cannes of animation, and has been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 96th Academy Awards, proving its artistic value abroad.

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Special Screening for Jeonju Citizens

Date: May 4 (Sat) - May 6 (Mon)

Location: Jeonju Cinema Town

Participation Fee: Free (*First-come, first-served)

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This year, a special screening for Jeonju citizens will be held at Jeonju Cinema Town, the only local theater in Honam, to allow Jeonju citizens to directly experience the Jeonju International Film Festival and create a festival that reaches more citizens. Although primarily aimed at Jeonju citizens, anyone, including tourists visiting Jeonju, can participate. This year's screening films consist of independent films that are more easily accessible and barrier-free films that everyone can enjoy. Here are two major screening films.

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Rebound

Rebound

Jang Hang-jun | 2022 | Fiction | 122min | Rated 12+

May 5 (Sun) 14:00~, Jeonju Cinema Town 8th Hall

 

First, , which caused a lot of buzz upon its release as the Joseon version of Slam Dunk, will be screened in a barrier-free version. depicts the true story surrounding the final match of the 37th National High School Basketball Championship between Yongsan High School in Seoul and Central High School in Busan, focusing on the new coach Yang Hyun (Ahn Jae-hong) who joins the basketball team on the verge of disbandment and the six players racing towards the national championship. The true story is as follows. At that time, Coach Kang Yang-hyun of Central High School gathered six students, including those who were wandering around street basketball courts, and barely entered the tournament. In the second round of the preliminaries, one player injured his collarbone, barely filling the team with five members. Central High School continued to participate without a single substitution from that point until the finals. Nevertheless, the results were dazzling. Cheon Gi-beom (then a senior) of Central High School won four individual titles (scoring, assists, defense, and MVP). Although they lost to Yongsan High School in the finals, the fighting spirit of the Central High School basketball team became a part of high school basketball history and was made into a film.

 

Minari

Minari

Lee Isaac Chung | 2021 | Fiction | 115min | Rated 12+

May 6 (Mon) 17:00~, Jeonju Cinema Town 8th Hall

 

 

In the 1980s, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Ye-ri) head to America with a promise to be each other's salvation. Wanting to show their family that they can achieve something, Jacob starts to cultivate his own farm, and Monica looks for a job. Thus, the two pursue the American Dream, continuing their lives in a foreign land in search of hope. However, life in a foreign country is not easy, and the four family members end up drifting into a rural town in Arkansas. The film, infused with director Lee Isaac Chung's autobiographical experiences, has won numerous awards, including the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and the Best Supporting Actress at the 93rd Academy Awards.

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Alley Screening

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Small outdoor screenings will also be held in alleys located in Jeonju Film Street and Buseong-gil. The alley screenings, which introduce the unique spaces of Jeonju by screening films in distinctive local venues, will showcase last year's Jeonju International Film Festival films and 14 Korean independent films. Here are two major screening films for the alley screenings, where both festival attendees and Jeonju citizens can comfortably watch films.

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​Jaurim, The Wonderland

JAURIM, The Wonderland

Kim Ji-hwan, Heo Min | Korea | 2022 | 72min | Color/B&W | Documentary | Rated G

May 5 (Sun) 20:00~, Jeonju Pungnammun

May 9 (Thu) 20:00~, Film Street (Fila Parking Lot)

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Jaurim debuted in 1997. It has been 26 years, just four years short of 30. 26 years is a longer time than one might think. During that time, countless bands have come and gone. However, Jaurim has released a total of 25 albums, including 11 regular albums, and has held over 1,300 concerts, always being there. Toasting to their continued vitality, is released. The film reflects on the journey of Jaurim since its formation in 1997, along with the process of preparing a commemorative remake album and concert for their 25th anniversary in 2021. The documentary, which intersperses interviews with Baek Cheol-soo, Lim Jin-mo, Bae Soon-tak, Ok Sang-dal-bit, Wonstein, and Seo Hyun-jin with scenes from the 25th-anniversary concert and past TV appearances, serves as a sort of booklet summarizing their 25 years.

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A Tour Guide

A Tour Guide

Gwak Eun-mi | Korea | 2023 | 94min | Color | Fiction | Rated 12+

May 4 (Sat) 20:00~, Film Street (Chihiro)

May 8 (Wed) 20:00~, Former Jeonbuk Governor's Residence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Han Young (Lee Seol) becomes a guide by obtaining a Chinese tour guide certification using the Chinese she learned while living in China. While adapting to an unfamiliar environment and accumulating a fair amount of results, she cannot find her younger brother In-hyuk (Jeon Bong-seok), and her life continues to change with the flow of the times, as the number of Chinese tourists decreases due to the deployment of THAAD. This film was invited to the Korean Competition section of the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival.