A Festival for Everyone: 16th Seoul Barrier Free Film Festival Opens at Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam

The Korean Film Archive (President Mo Eun-young, hereinafter “KOFA”) is supporting the 16th Seoul Barrier Free Film Festival, taking place Nov. 11 (Wed.) through 15 (Sun.). Hosted and organized by the Korean Barrier Free Film Committee, the festival will be held at Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam and the Seoul Film Center, offering 33 feature-length and short films across seven sections free of charge. At Cinematheque KOFA, 26 films—including eight features and 17 shorts—will screen across 12 screenings from Nov. 11 (Wed.) to 14 (Sat.), alongside the opening ceremony and opening film screening. A barrier-free forum will also be held.

The Seoul Barrier Free Film Festival is designed to let audiences enjoy films together, regardless of disability, through audio descriptions for people who are blind or have low vision and barrier-free subtitles for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Now in its 16th year, the festival will offer a range of viewing options, including barrier-free versions of recent feature films and shorts, closed screenings, and screenings for audiences with developmental disabilities. By supporting the festival, KOFA is helping improve access to film screenings and expand opportunities for more people to enjoy movies.

The opening ceremony, held at Cinematheque KOFA on Nov. 11, will feature a barrier-free version of 〈Conclave〉 (2024). Directed by Edward Berger, 〈Conclave〉 explores the desire for power and the hidden sides of human nature through the process of electing a new pope. The barrier-free version was directed by Kim Mi-jo, with actor Park So-dam providing the audio description. Following a screening at the Community BIFF section of the Busan International Film Festival, it will meet audiences at the Seoul Barrier Free Film Festival.

The festival’s feature program includes newly produced barrier-free versions of 〈My Name Is〉, 〈Number One〉, 〈People and Meat〉, 〈Hanlan〉 and 〈Our School Uniform Days〉, as well as the animated films 〈David〉 and 〈Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia〉. In particular, 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉 will be presented as a closed barrier-free screening: audience members with disabilities can use dedicated assistive equipment, while other audience members watch the film as usual. The animated film 〈Fireheart〉 will be shown as part of “Barrier-Free Screening for Everyone,” a program for audiences with developmental disabilities that allows conversation during the screening and free entry and exit.

The short-film program will premiere barrier-free versions of 〈Cherry Blossom Homeroom〉, 〈The Sisters’ Hike〉 and 〈A Needle in the Sky〉, selected through a barrier-free short film production support competition. The festival-wide program will also include three shorts—〈Auspicious Sign〉, 〈Three-Leaf Clover〉 and 〈Growing Dancing Tomatoes〉—made in an industry-academia partnership with Chung-Ang University’s RISE project team, along with a variety of other barrier-free shorts and 10 short animated films with barrier-free subtitles.

Alongside the screenings at Cinematheque KOFA, one barrier-free forum will be held. The forum will explore how the intentions of creators and the perspectives of disabled viewers—the audience—are reflected in the production of barrier-free films.

The 16th Seoul Barrier Free Film Festival will run at Cinematheque KOFA from Nov. 11 to 14, and at the Seoul Film Center on Nov. 14 and 15. Screening schedules and booking information for Cinematheque KOFA are available on the Korean Film Archive website (https://www.koreafilm.or.kr/cinematheque/screenings), while details about the full festival program can be found on the Seoul Barrier Free Film Festival website (www.baff.or.kr). Admission is free.