52nd Seoul Independent Film Festival Announces Films Selected for Main Competition and New Currents

Seoul Independent Film Festival 2026, a showcase celebrating the year in independent cinema, has announced the films selected for its Main Short and Feature Competition and New Currents sections.

The 52nd Seoul Independent Film Festival received 1,917 submissions for this year's open call — 1,715 shorts and 202 features — setting a record for the largest number of entries in the festival's history. Following preliminary reviews, the festival's first announced lineup consists of 35 films in the Main Short Competition, 12 in the Main Feature Competition and eight in New Currents.

The Main Short Competition comprises 20 narrative films, six animated films, six documentaries and three experimental films. The Main Feature Competition includes six narrative films, five documentaries and one experimental film. Awards in the short competition include the Grand Prize, Best Film and Excellence awards; the feature competition will present the Grand Prize, Best Film and Excellence awards.

New Currents is a section that discovers films by emerging independent directors who have directed no more than one feature. Eight films were selected — three narrative films, one animated film and four documentaries — and will compete for the New Currents Award and the New Perspective Award.

Independent cinema this year, filled with diverse genres and stories

35 films in the Main Short Competition and 12 in the Main Feature Competition

The 2026 Seoul Independent Film Festival's Main Competition will present 10 premieres: six shorts and four features.

▲Feature Competition 〈Announcement〉 (directed by Kim Jeong-geun) 〈Nobody Noir〉 (directed by Dong Yi-hyang) 〈Sense of Direction〉 (directed by Son Yeong-mo) 〈100th-Day Celebration〉 (directed by Hwang Da-eun and Park Hong-yeol) ▲Short Competition 〈My Scarf〉 (directed by Lim Han-gyeol) 〈Nowhere〉 (directed by Lee Ju-yong) 〈Holding My Breath〉 (directed by Ji Jun-hyeok) 〈Journey〉 (directed by Han Ung-gyu and Kim Sang-ho) 〈Glass Wall〉 (directed by Ha Seong-jun) 〈Introducing Ourselves〉 (directed by Park Da-yeong)

The Main Feature Competition will screen 〈Announcement〉 by Kim Jeong-geun, a 2026 Seoul Independent Film Festival postproduction support project; 〈Beyond the Horizon of Love〉 by Park Song-yeol, whose film 〈Hot by Day, Cold by Night〉 won the Best Film award in the festival's 2021 Feature Competition; 〈Can I Talk to You Now?〉 by Lee Seung-jun, director of 〈The Star of a Snail〉, winner of the Best Feature Documentary award at the 24th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; and 〈A Certain Detective〉 by Kim Mi-young, director of 〈Cliff's Edge__, which won the Screenplay Award at the 33rd Buil Film Awards and several other domestic honors. Also included is 〈Sense of Direction〉, the second feature by Son Yeong-mo, whose 〈Reading the Trajectory of Character Collisions〉 screened in the New Currents section at the 2014 Seoul Independent Film Festival. In all, 12 films spanning diverse genres and stories will screen, including the narrative films 〈Nobody Noir〉 (directed by Dong Yi-hyang), 〈Baylor〉 (directed by Oh Se-hyeon) and 〈Not Meant for You〉 (directed by Shin Dong-min), and the documentaries 〈100th-Day Celebration〉 (directed by Hwang Da-eun and Park Hong-yeol), 〈The Time of Being Apart〉 (directed by Moon Jeong-hyeon), 〈Sound Net〉 (directed by Yoon Ju-yeong) and 〈Each and Every World〉 (directed by Jang Yun-mi and Lee Su-yu).

Preliminary jurors for the 2026 Seoul Independent Film Festival's Main Feature Competition said, “During the judging process, we were able to see the efforts and potential of creators preparing for the future despite the crisis facing the film industry. We also encountered diverse characters and worlds, each struggling in different ways within their personal lives and society.”

The jurors also noted that this year's submissions included many noteworthy premieres. “The 12 selected films demonstrate distinct cinematic identities and messages that transcend the boundaries of genre and form,” they said. “We hope the intense searching and creative practice carried out through these films will help identify the place and discourse of contemporary independent cinema.”

Preliminary jurors for the Main Short Competition said, “The challenges posed by creators who continue pursuing new cinematic approaches within familiar subjects and forms stood out. We encountered films that view contemporary issues — including disconnection and communication between individuals, housing problems, gender and social conflicts — from distinctive perspectives.”

They added, “We were especially impressed by attempts to make AI the subject of new cinematic inquiry and to tell stories in original ways that draw on the strengths of each genre. The films also attracted attention by moving beyond simple representation in their treatment of subjects and themes to create individual interpretations and cinematic rhythms.”

Expanding the possibilities of independent cinema through new perspectives

Films competing in the New Currents section

The eight films selected for the 2026 Seoul Independent Film Festival's New Currents section introduce emerging directors whose talent could shape the next wave of independent cinema. The section's six premieres are 〈Round and Pointed〉 (directed by Kim Hyeon-bin), 〈Doenjang〉 (directed by Jeong U-cheol), 〈Cool, to Space!〉 (directed by Nam Gyeong-bo), 〈Malignant Human〉 (directed by Kim Eun-seong), 〈Aedoedo〉 (directed by Sae-hoon (Yoon Se-hoon)) and 〈Tightrope〉 (directed by Go Hye-mi).

The Seoul Independent Film Festival's New Currents section has previously introduced films that went on to attract attention in South Korea and abroad, including 〈A Flowing Journey〉 (Kim Jin-yu, 2025), 〈Chung Chung Chung〉 (Han Chang-rok, 2025), 〈Su-yeon's Melody〉 (Choi Jong-ryong, 2024), 〈The Eldest Son〉 (Oh Jeong-min, 2023), 〈The Things Alcohol Will Tell You〉 (Kim Da-min, 2023), 〈Hail to Hell〉 (Lim Oh-jeong, 2022), 〈The You and Me〉 (Jo Hyeon-cheol, 2022), 〈The Best of All Possible Lives〉 (Lee Woo-jeong, 2020), 〈Moving On〉 (Yoon Dan-bi, 2019) and 〈House of Hummingbird〉 (Kim Bo-ra, 2018). This year, attention is focused on which film will win the New Currents Award and join that list of notable works.

The 52nd Seoul Independent Film Festival, which has announced the films in its Competition and New Currents sections and signaled the formal start of the independent film festival, will take place for 10 days, from Nov. 25 (Wednesday) through Dec. 4 (Friday), at CGV Apgujeong and CGV Cheongdam Cine City.