Andong Heritage Film Festival Debuts, Bringing Nine Days of Cinema Starting on the 7th

The 2026 Andong Heritage Film Festival, which explores the long history and cultural heritage of Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, as well as the lives and memories of the people who have lived there, opens with a grand ceremony on the 7th.

Co-hosted by Gyeongkuk National University and Andong Jungang Art Cinema, the festival debuts this year and runs for nine days, from the 7th through the 15th. Screenings and other programs will take place at several of Andong’s major historical and cultural sites, including the Seonseonghyeon Cultural Complex, Yekki Village, Andong Jungang Art Cinema and the area around Woryeonggyo Bridge.

A cultural ecosystem expanded on screen through local stories and memories

The festival opens with Still Life, a 2006 film by acclaimed director Jia Zhangke. Set in Fengjie, a region threatened with inundation by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, the film follows two people searching for loved ones amid rapid industrialization and environmental change, capturing their journeys with powerful visual artistry.

The festival will spotlight short and independent films made by young local filmmakers, locally based theater productions and films produced by university students. It will also offer opportunities for creators and audiences to connect, including post-screening discussions with directors and actors (GVs) and a Heritage Talk Concert.

The festival will also host academic discussions and forums. At a forum titled “Revisiting the Region Through the Lens of Film and Video”, representatives of major regional film festivals from across the country and arts and culture experts will gather to explore strategies for building a sustainable creative ecosystem for local screen culture.

A variety of side events will engage visitors’ senses, including traditional clothing and games, craft workshops in embroidery and woodworking, an archival photo exhibition connecting Andong’s past and present, and a Heritage Sketching Contest. Events will take place throughout the city and at historic sites.

Park Chan-woo, director of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, said, "I hope this festival will be a turning point in discovering anew the history and cultural heritage of Andong, as well as the untold stories of its residents, through the medium of film." He added, "We will spare no administrative or financial support to help the region’s distinctive cultural assets combine with video content to create added value and build a foundation for a self-sustaining local film ecosystem."