Jecheon International Music Film Festival Breaks Reliance on 4 Billion Won 'Singer Performances' with 188 Screenings—Major Expansion, 'Fly Together' Slogan

'Jecheon International Music Film Festival' A Reversal with a 4 Billion Won Investment… A Sharp Knife for a 20% Drop in Audience

188 Screenings Expand Genres and Move the Main Venue Entirely to Art Center Jecheon in the Heart of the City

The 'Jecheon International Music Film Festival' (JIMFF), which pours in a hefty annual budget of 4 billion won, is set to launch a painful overhaul of its business model. The move comes after the festival accepted heavy criticism that crowds flocked only to performances by famous singers, undermining the festival’s core film-festival value. The organizing committee unveiled radical restructuring plans, including a major expansion of the number of screenings and a full relocation of the opening ceremony and main events from the outlying airfields to the middle of the city.

A Slump of the Low-20 Percent Range for Paid Tickets—and 'Identity Recovery' Is the Key

The organizing committee’s decision stemmed from a cold-eyed recognition that the ripple effects of the spending on the local community are far smaller than the budget would suggest. Compared with festivals in neighboring cities, not only is the inflow of visitors low, but there has also been persistent criticism that the festival’s distinct identity is being shaken as the demand and attention are concentrated solely on 'famous singer performances'.

In fact, the metrics from the past three years reflect the depth of the crisis. Total visitors fell from 22,000 in 2023 to 19,000 in 2024 before rebounding to 61,000 in June 2025, but the festival’s substance worsened. The share of 'paid tickets' dropped from 53% in 2023 to 47% the following year, then plunged into the 20% range last year. Even the tickets that were sold were concentrated on stages of singers—such as 'culture theaters' in the center of the city—rather than movie theaters, creating a distorted structure.

Genre Expansion to 188 Titles and Art Center in the Middle of the City—Return of Master Filmmakers

To break the stalemate, the 22nd 'Jecheon International Music Film Festival', running for six days starting Sept. 3, will pursue a sweeping overhaul. The festival has expanded screenings from the previous 120-plus titles to 188 films from 45 countries. In particular, it deploys a two-track strategy: it breaks out of the narrow box of music films and broadens its reach with diverse genres such as action and horror to secure mainstream appeal.

The move of space also stands out. The main venue, which had previously been located at the outer airfield, has been shifted forward to an outdoor stage at 'Art Center Jecheon', in the heart of downtown. The festival designed a virtuous economic cycle by providing 'local currency' to attendees so that the crowd’s footsteps naturally flow into consumer spending in the city’s backstreet business areas.

Led by the network of the executive director, 'Ten Million Director' 'Jang Hang-jun', who is once again at the helm of the directing baton following last year, master filmmakers representing South Korea’s film industry—including 'Park Chan-wook' and 'Bong Joon-ho'—have joined, adding weight to the program. Director Jang said, "Jecheon holds location conditions that are ideal for filming," and added, "By inviting top directors from within Korea, we will prove Jecheon’s spatial value and create a stage where film and music coexist perfectly."

The festival said, "Out of more than 2,000 films pouring in every year, only around 100 end up getting the spotlight," adding, "The true 'positive function' is to discover hidden gems and serve as the stepping stone—driving investment and production."

Jecheon Mayor Lee Sang-cheon said, "We take seriously the sharp comments from citizens that even reached as far as talking about whether the festival should continue or not." He added, "Next year, ahead of opening during August, the peak of vacation season, we will maximize citizens’ participation, and through active corporate partnerships, we will establish a 'self-sustaining financial foundation' to reduce the city’s dependence on its finances."

Meanwhile, this year’s festival will open a range of festivities under the slogan 'Fly Together'. The flagship music program 'One Summer Night' will kick off in the summer plaza at Art Center Jecheon. Top-tier artists such as 'FT Island', 'Crush', 'MONSTA X', and 'Lysenne' are expected to come together and heat up the nights of Jecheon.