11th Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival Opens Today, Five-Day Program Features Eom Hong-gil, Ham Eun-jung

The 11th Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival begins its five-day journey at the Yeongnam Alps with an opening ceremony on the 18th. The festival is set to showcase a remarkable lineup of leading figures from Korea and abroad, including mountaineering legend Eom Hong-gil and versatile actor Ham Eun-jung.

Green wave sweeps Yeongnam Alps as filmmakers from around the world gather

A green green carpet, symbolizing the perfect harmony of nature and art, will be laid at the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcome Center in Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju County, Ulsan, opening the festival with a grand celebration. Festival chairman Lee Soon-gul and executive director Eom Hong-gil will welcome guests and audiences from around the world.

Leading figures from Korean cinema will also attend, including Lee Jang-ho, chairman of the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival organizing committee and a giant of Korean film history; Bae Chang-ho, former executive director of the Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival; Han Sang-jun, chairman of the Korean Film Council; and Yang Yun-ho, chairman of the Korea Film Actors Association.

Mountain-culture alliance crosses borders as global leaders rendezvous

The festival goes beyond screenings, serving as a forum for strong cooperation and mutual support among film festivals in Korea and abroad. Top festival leaders will attend, including Jeonju International Film Festival co-executive directors Jung Jun-ho and Min Sung-wook, and Seoul International Women’s Film Festival chairpersons Byun Jae-ran and Hwang Hye-rim.

The international lineup is equally impressive. Global leaders in mountain documentaries will attend, including Javier Barayazarra, executive director of the Bilbao Mendi Film Festival; Joanna Croston, executive director of the Banff Mountain Film Festival; Alia Damaihati, executive director of Festival Film Dokumenter in Indonesia; and world-renowned author Bernadette McDonald, this year’s recipient of the Ulsan Ulju Mountain Culture Award.

Slovenia takes center stage as legendary alpinists make a triumphant return

Slovenia, this year’s guest country for the mountain program, and global exchanges centered on the Bilbao Mendi Film Festival in Spain are among the festival’s key highlights. A diplomatic delegation including Miriam Mozgan, Slovenia’s ambassador-designate to South Korea, and Blaz Veber, head of the Bled Tourism Board, will visit. Slovenian pianist Bowrain will perform at the opening ceremony.

A number of artists will visit Korea and continue an in-depth cultural exchange, including Petra Seliskar, director of The Mountain Doesn’t Change; Maja Pretnar, director of Pastor Janya; and Daniel Caskales, Luis Arieta Echeverria and Jon Erans, whose work captures the essence of the Basque region.

Legendary alpinists who have left a lasting mark on the history of mountaineering will also visit the Yeongnam Alps. They include Silvo Karo, recipient of the Piolets d’Or Lifetime Achievement Award; expedition leader Ahn Chi-young, who pioneered new routes in the Himalayas; and world-renowned mountaineer Kim Young-mi. Karo and Ahn will serve as judges and lead special talk programs with audiences, sharing the essence of mountain culture.

They will be joined by international directors who have captured extreme challenges on film at global events, including Buenos Aires Youth Olympic BMX medalist Iñaki Maza, Tom Dauer and Barbora Holan.

Stars from popular culture will also walk the green carpet. Indian film critic Premendra Mazumder, soprano Park Sung-hee, ecological photographer Yoon Ki-deuk, veteran actor Sunwoo Yong-yeo, and actors Park Ho-san, Jung Il-woo, Seo Jun-young, Park Jun-seok and Yoo Ji-hyuk will add to the festival’s energy.

Domestic guests include Lee Myung-ha, the 2024 New Female Actor of the Year, as well as Wi Ji-won, Shin Seon and director Jung Bum, leading figures in Korea’s independent and fantasy film scene. The creators of UMFFmentary, a project produced with the direct participation of Ulsan residents, are also preparing a meaningful meeting with audiences.

The main opening ceremony, following the green carpet, will be hosted by actor and festival ambassador Ham Eun-jung and broadcaster Park Jae-min. The festival said it will launch its five-day program with a celebratory performance by Slovenian pianist Bowrain and the Amutdda Band, followed by a screening of the opening film, K2: Following the Shadow.