May 2025
The Jeonju International Film Festival, held every May, celebrates its 26th edition this year. Under the theme “Beyond the Frame,” it will run from Apr. 30 to May 9. A conference to kick off the event took place in April, offering a preview of what lies in store.
Writer. Xu Aiying Korea.net Reporter
A news conference for this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) was held on Apr. 1, a month ahead of the event’s opening, to announce the lineup of works including the opening and closing movies as well as those in each section.
Running from Apr. 30 to May 9, JIFF will screen 224 films—98 domestic and 126 from 56 countries—with 80 to make their world premieres at the festival.
The opening work is “Kontinental ‘25” directed by Radu Jude from Romania. It won in February the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the Berlin International Film Festival, using a new method of being entirely shot on a smartphone.
The closing movie is “In the Land of Machines” by Kim Okyong from Korea. This documentary takes an in-depth look at the lives of three Nepalese migrant workers in Korea under the Employment Permit System.
The International Competition section received 662 submissions from 86 countries, with 10 selected for screening including “Always” by Chen Deming (China) and “Cycle Mahesh” by Suhel Banerjee (India). The Korean Competition category has quite a few family dramas that include the themes of LGBTQ and female solidarity.
The special section “Again, Towards Democracy” will reflect on the value of democracy through six documentaries on political situations in countries that have experienced or are facing a democratic crisis.
Singer-actor Lee Jung-hyun is this year’s J Special: Programmer of the Year, which allows her to select the films to screen for this section based on his or her cinematic perspectives and taste. She will introduce three films she appeared in as well as “Night Fishing” and “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” by Park Chan-wook (Korea), “Nobody Knows” by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan) and “The Child” by Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
“The Jeonju International Film Festival has solidified its status as a major film festival representing Asia and a valuable platform for creative filmmakers from around the world to communicate with audiences and showcase their artistic worlds,” said Jeonju Mayor Woo Beom-ki, who is chair of JIFF’s organizing committee. “We will keep listening to the opinions of our audience to produce a richer and more meaningful film festival.”
The Chuncheon International Mime Festival will be held in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Province, for eight days, from May 25 to June 1. Mime is a theatrical form that conveys content solely through facial expressions and gestures, without dialogue. Yu Jin Gyu, a first-generation Korean mime artist, settled in Chuncheon and laid the foundation for the festival, which expanded from the first Korean Mime Festival in 1989 to the Chuncheon International Mime Festival in 1995. Running for over 36 years, this festival is considered one of the world’s three major mime festivals, alongside London’s Mime Festival and France’s Mimos Festival.
This year’s theme is “Body Landscape—Like a Flower, Like a River, Perhaps Like a Story.” The theme was chosen with the hope that bodies carrying their own stories will bloom like flowers and color the festival. Beyond mime, the estival brings together arts centered on movement, including circus, street performances and physical theater. Events will take place across various locations in Chuncheon, including Jungang-ro, Seoksacheon Stream Walkway and Commons Field Chuncheon, infusing the city with diverse experiences.
Starting with “City of Water: Ah! Surajang” on opening day, the festival will showcase various artists’ body landscapes. The Korean Mime Association’s mime artists will be out in full force. Participants can enjoy mime performances while getting splashed with water, as well as beer specially brewed for the festival.
The festival’s signature event, “City of Fire; Dokkaebi Nanjang,” will include performances based on various dance genres and impromptu shows. Spectacular fire performances are also planned. Food trucks offering Chuncheon and festival-related dishes will be available, along with dance experience programs for audience participation. Dokkaebi Nanjang will run from May 31 to June 1, highlighting the festival evenings.
During weekdays, the "Walking Mime" program will allow citizens to watch mime performances either while walking along the Seoksacheon Stream Walkway or by finding a spot to sit and enjoy the show. “Dokkaebi Nomads” will also bring performances to schools, streets and other locations.
Additionally, audiences will meet the winner of “Mime Fringe,” a pre-festival program discovering emerging artists. Mimist Yang Seol-i won with her work “The Swing,” beating other strong contenders. This piece will be officially invited to the Chuncheon Mime Festival.
© Chuncheon International Mime festival.
