This year marks the 25th edition of the Jeonju International Film Festival, which has opened with a splendid ceremony. The festival kicks off with the opening ceremony held on May 1st (Wednesday) at 19:30 at the Moak Hall of the Jeonju Korean Sound Culture Center, embarking on a ten-day journey. The Moak Hall was filled with a large crowd, demonstrating the intense interest in the event. The opening ceremony, hosted by actors Gong Seung-yeon and Lee Hee-joon, included the opening declaration by Organising Committee Chair Woo Beom-ki and a congratulatory performance by pianist Oh Eun-ha & percussion group Aki.
Meanwhile, prior to the opening ceremony, approximately 160 domestic and international guests attended the red carpet event, posing for photos. Among them were actor Yoo Ji-tae, who served as a judge for the international competition section this year, and actor Jin Goo, who hosted last year's opening ceremony, as well as the young Japanese master director Miyake Sho of the opening film <All of Dawn>, representing a significant part of the film industry.
Continuing from last year, the slogan 'We Always Go Beyond the Frame' reflects the festival's ambition to break away from traditional film formats and screening methods, achieving interdisciplinary integration around cinema through programmes, spaces, and events. We share various aspects of the opening ceremony of the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival.
Byun Woo-seok, Yoo Ji-tae, Jin Goo... Stars Who Shone on the Red Carpet
On the 1st at 18:30, with a cool breeze blowing, stars visiting Jeonju graced the Moak Hall of the Jeonju Korean Sound Culture Center. The red carpet event was filled with the cheers of the audience and the smiles of the stars responding to them, with rising star Byun Woo-seok receiving the loudest cheers from fans. Byun Woo-seok is currently active as the famous artist 'Ryu Seon-jae' in the popular tvN drama <The Great Escape>. He showcased excellent fan service by approaching fans waving at him and shaking their hands.
Alongside Byun Woo-seok, Park Mun-ah from <Lucky Ball> and Bang Hyo-rin from <Hellbound> walked the red carpet, followed by Lee Yoo-mi from <Squid Game> and Jin Goo from <Descendants of the Sun>. All of them are actors under Baro Entertainment and are set to meet audiences through 'Jeonju Cine Tour × Majung' at this film festival. The 'Jeonju Cine Tour × Majung', held every year for closer communication between actors and audiences, features the 'Majung Class', where audiences can watch the actors' representative works and hear in-depth stories, and the 'Majung Talk' programme for more intimate interactions with the actors. This year, actors Jin Goo, Lee Yoo-mi, Gong Seung-yeon, Lee Soo-kyung, Byun Woo-seok, Lee Hong-nae, Bang Hyo-rin, Park Mun-ah, and Kim Sang-heon are expected to attend.
Dressed in a neat suit, Yoo Ji-tae walked the red carpet accompanied by judges Hong Ji-young and Matthias Piñeiro, who are also judging the international competition section. Yoo Ji-tae has garnered significant attention for participating in this film festival in three roles: as an actor, director, and judge. He is the lead actor in director Hur Jin-ho's film <Spring Day Passes>, which is part of the 'J Special: Programmer of the Year', and he is also the director of three invited works in the Korea Cinema section: <The Bicycle Boy>, <Unknowingly>, and <Talk to Her>. Additionally, he has been named a judge in the main section of the festival, the international competition, showcasing his multifaceted charm.
Director Kim Han-min, well-known for directing the Admiral Yi Sun-sin trilogy including <Roaring Currents>, <Hansan: Rising Dragon>, and <Noryang: Deadly Sea Battle>, along with director Hong Ji-young, who directed <Before Wedding> and <New Year’s Eve>, and director Jung Ji-young of <Namyeong-dong 1985> and <Boys>, also graced the event with their presence.
Announcing the Start of the 10-Day Journey of the Jeonju International Film Festival
The opening ceremony of this year's Jeonju International Film Festival was hosted by actors Gong Seung-yeon and Lee Hee-joon. The two MCs, who appeared in elegant white dresses and jackets, eased the somewhat awkward atmosphere by announcing news about the film <Handsome Guys>, which is set to be released this summer. <Handsome Guys> is a comedy film featuring actors Lee Hee-joon, Gong Seung-yeon, Lee Sung-min, Park Ji-hwan, and Lee Kyu-hyung, among others.
The official opening ceremony began with a trailer video filled with expectations for the upcoming journey, followed by welcoming remarks from co-executive chairpersons Min Seong-wook and Jung Joon-ho, who are serving in this role for the second consecutive year. Min, a long-time figure of the Jeonju International Film Festival, emphasized that the festival is held annually under the values of 'independence' and 'alternatives', stating, "The works you will encounter will serve as an opportunity to understand the different cultures and thoughts of our lives." In contrast, actor Jung Joon-ho, who was selected as a co-executive chairperson for the first time last year, humorously remarked, "Seeing up close, aren’t I handsome?" He also expressed his commitment to revitalising the Jeonju economy through the film festival, highlighting the importance of mutual growth between the region and the festival.
Following the opening declaration by Woo Beom-ki, the mayor of Jeonju and organising committee chairperson, a congratulatory performance by pianist Oh Eun-ha and percussion group Aki took place. The beautiful piano melodies combined with traditional percussion instruments such as the gung, buk, and janggu captivated the attention of the international press in attendance.
Subsequently, a session was arranged to hear from the judges of each section, programmer Hur Jin-ho, and director Miyake Sho of the opening film <All of Dawn>. International competition judges Della Campbell and Matthias Piñeiro, along with Yoo Ji-tae, and Korean competition judges Giovanna Fulvi and Tong Kyi-wei took the stage to share their feelings about participating as judges. Among them, Yoo Ji-tae, who visited Jeonju as an actor, director, and judge, expressed the challenges of judging films. "Personally, I don’t particularly like the title of 'judge'. Making films is like walking the path of a pilgrim. Evaluating a work that someone has carefully created according to a judge's subjectivity is not an easy task. Nevertheless, I will do my best to judge. I hope that the Jeonju Film Festival becomes a festival like a flower for directors and writers who write in their rooms and aspiring actors," he stated.
Director Hur Jin-ho, who is in charge of 'J Special: Programmer of the Year', returned from Italy to participate in this opening ceremony. Recently, he achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Best Screenplay Award at the 44th Fantasporto International Film Festival and the Screenplay Award at the 39th Mons International Film Festival for his film <Ordinary Family>. He humorously mentioned that he couldn’t attend the two award ceremonies, saying, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the judges." Additionally, expressing his feelings about being selected as this year's programmer leading the J Special section, he said, "I am excited to be in a position to choose from being chosen. I am happy to be selected as 'Programmer of the Year' in Jeonju, which is also my hometown." Director Hur plans to share his works <Spring Day Passes> and <Outing>, along with films by director Ha Gil-jong such as <March of the Fools>, Wim Wenders' <Paris, Texas>, and Yasujirō Ozu's <Tokyo Story> with the audience.
The closing of the opening ceremony was marked by director Miyake Sho, whose film <All of Dawn> was selected as the sole opening film among the 232 works submitted to this festival. Director Miyake Sho, who visited Jeonju in 2019 with <Your Bird Can Sing>, returned after five years. He expressed his excitement, saying, "I really liked it when I came last time, and I hoped to come again. But this year, I was surprised to be invited as the opening film. I am very happy." He also urged the audience to pay attention to the characters in <All of Dawn>, stating, "Each character, wanting to appear cool to others, goes through a process of becoming free as the story unfolds. While making this work, I felt a sense of honesty and purity within myself. I hope you will think about this as well," highlighting the viewing points of the film.
The opening ceremony concluded with the message of exploring new worlds and discovering new possibilities through films that embody challenge and innovation. Despite the sudden downpour in Jeonju, the warm enthusiasm of the guests and fans who filled the venue seemed to represent their love for the cinema of Jeonju, celebrating its 25th birthday.
