[Film Festival Update] 1,444 Record Submissions for the 2026 Chuncheon Film Festival, Opening June 25

A record-high number of submissions—1,444 titles—spotlighting the festival as a core hub for independent films, “2026 Chuncheon Film Festival”

From June 25 to 28, “2026 Chuncheon Film Festival” will kick off in and around Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, with a grand opening. The official slogan for this 13th edition is “Spring of Film”. Ahead of the opening, the submission call for screening titles drew the highest number of entries ever, drawing strong attention from across the domestic film industry.

Surpassing “1,444 films”, up 120 titles from the previous year

According to the Chuncheon Film Festival’s official figures, a total of “1,444 films” were submitted to the screening-title call. This is an increase of 120 films over the previous year and the highest number since the festival’s launch. The submission status by category is as follows.

• “Korean Short Film Competition”: 1,335 films

• Non-competitive sections: 60 films

• “D. Ha. Hee. Ya” Call for Entries: 49 films

An analysis of submission trends shows that, while the festival continues to focus on fiction films, the growth of documentaries, experimental films, and hybrid genres stands out. By genre, the breakdown is 1,050 fiction films, 130 animation titles, 70 documentaries, and 38 experimental films. In addition, hybrid-genre works that combine multiple media types reached 47 titles, clearly signaling an expansion in scope within the independent film community.

Reorganized with a focus on “Korean Short Film Competition”, with the finalists announced on the 30th

Since 2023, the Chuncheon Film Festival has operated its competitive sections under “Korean Short Film Competition”, giving an in-depth look at the diverse trends in domestic independent short films. The explosive popularity of this year’s submission call suggests that the festival has firmly established itself as a key showcase platform for independent filmmakers.

Finalists from the main competition, as well as the “D. Ha. Hee. Ya” award-winning works, will be officially announced on the 30th. The ultimate winners will be confirmed through deliberation by the main jury during the festival period.