Korean-German Association Selects '2025 Independent Film of the Year' '3rd Year, 2nd Semester' & 'Independent Filmmaker of the Year' Director Jung Yoon-seok

The Korean Independent Film Association (hereinafter referred to as KIFA) has announced the selection of Lee Ran-hee's 〈3rd Year, 2nd Semester〉 as the '2025 Independent Film of the Year' and Director Jung Yoon-seok as the '2025 Independent Filmmaker of the Year', reflecting on the valuable achievements made by the independent film community throughout 2025.

Beyond Cinematic Achievement, Leading Policy Dialogue with 〈3rd Year, 2nd Semester〉… The Face of Independent Film in 2025

The film selected as this year's independent film, 〈3rd Year, 2nd Semester〉, captures the realities of labor faced by third-year vocational high school students during their field training with a calm yet specific perspective.

KIFA evaluated the selection background by stating, "Even in the harsh environment of self-distribution, it chose to meet the audience directly, passing through the walls of reality faced by independent films head-on," and noted that the attitude and achievements demonstrated by this work clearly indicate what independent film should be doing now.

This cinematic value has expanded beyond the screening room to the social public sphere. In fact, on December 30, a special event was held at the Seoul Megabox Sangam World Cup Stadium, where Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin and Seoul Superintendent of Education Jung Geun-sik watched the film together with specialized high school students and teachers. The subsequent roundtable talk featured in-depth discussions on the safety and learning conditions of field training, proving that the film served as a medium for driving policy changes beyond being a mere artistic work.

〈3rd Year, 2nd Semester〉 has stood out as the best work symbolizing Korean independent film in 2025, winning four awards at the Busan International Film Festival and the Best Screenplay Award at the Korean Film Critics Awards, receiving balanced support from both critics and audiences.

Director Jung Yoon-seok, Upholding the Mission of Documentation as 'Independent Filmmaker of the Year'

Director Jung Yoon-seok, named Independent Filmmaker of the Year, is the director of a documentary that vividly recorded the riot scene at the Seoul Western District Court last January.

KIFA cited the reason for selection as, "He was present at a moment when documentation was urgently needed and fulfilled that responsibility as an artist." They added, "We express solidarity with Director Jung, who supported the will to document without yielding to bureaucratic judicialism and revived the value of the independent documentary field."

Director Jung was prosecuted due to his filming actions and recently received a guilty verdict in the appeals court, but over 15,000 filmmakers have petitioned, and international solidarity movements have continued, forming a social discourse on 'freedom of expression' and 'the right to document.'