Celebrating its 25th year, the Jeonju International Film Festival has kicked off in grand style. The festival embarks on a ten-day journey starting with the opening ceremony held at 7:30 PM on May 1st (Wednesday) at the Moak Hall of the Jeonju Korean Sound Culture Center. The hall was packed with a large crowd, reflecting the intense interest. Hosted by actors Gong Seung-yeon and Lee Hee-jun, the opening ceremony continued with the opening declaration by Chairman Woo Beom-ki and a congratulatory performance by pianist Oh Eun-ha & percussion ensemble AQUI.
Meanwhile, about 160 domestic and international guests attended the red carpet event held before the opening ceremony, striking poses. Notable figures from the film industry, including actor Yoo Ji-tae, who is a jury member for this year's international competition section, actor Jin Goo, who hosted last year's opening ceremony, and Japanese young master director Miyake Sho of the opening film <All of Dawn>, were present.
Continuing from last year, the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival, with the slogan 'Beyond the Frame', aims to break away from traditional film formats and screening methods, showcasing a grand ambition to achieve interdisciplinary convergence centered on films through programs, spaces, and events. Here are the highlights from the opening ceremony.
Byun Woo-seok, Yoo Ji-tae, Jin Goo... Stars Shining on the Red Carpet
On the evening of the 1st at 6:30 PM, 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 cheers from the audience and smiles from the stars in response. The star who received the loudest cheers from fans was undoubtedly rising star Byun Woo-seok. Byun Woo-seok is currently gaining popularity for his role as the famous artist 'Ryu Sun-jae' in the tvN drama <Sunjae Eobgo Twieo>. He also showcased his adept fan service by approaching fans waving at him and shaking hands.
Along with Byun Woo-seok, Park Moon-ah from <Lucky Ball>, and Bang Hyo-rin from <Hell Manse> 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 from Baro Entertainment and are expected to meet the audience through 'Jeonju Cine Tour × Majung' at this film festival. 'Jeonju Cine Tour × Majung', held annually for close communication between actors and the audience, includes the 'Majung Class', where you can watch the actor's representative works and hear in-depth stories, and the 'Majung Talk' program for closer interaction 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 Moon-ah, and Kim Sang-hoon from Baro Entertainment are expected to attend.
Yoo Ji-tae, dressed in a neat suit, walked the red carpet accompanied by fellow international competition jury members Hong Ji-young and Matías Piñeiro. Yoo Ji-tae has garnered much attention for participating in this film festival in three roles: actor, director, and jury member. He is the lead actor in director Hur Jin-ho's film <One Fine Spring Day>, which is part of the 'J Special: Programmer of the Year', and also the director of three films invited to the Korea Cinema section: <Bicycle Boy>, <Unknowingly>, and <Talk to Her>. Additionally, he has been named a jury member for the main section of the film festival, the international competition, showcasing his multifaceted charm.
Director Kim Han-min, known for directing the Yi Sun-sin trilogy <The Admiral: Roaring Currents>, <Hansan: Rising Dragon>, and <Noryang: Sea of Death>, as well as director Hong Ji-young, who directed and adapted <Marriage Blue> and <New Year Blues>, and director Jung Ji-young of <Namyeong-dong 1985> and <The Boys>, also graced the event with their presence.
Jeonju International Film Festival Announces the Start of a 10-Day Journey
The opening ceremony of this year's Jeonju International Film Festival was hosted by actors Gong Seung-yeon and Lee Hee-jun. Appearing in clear and soft white dresses and jackets, the two MCs eased the somewhat awkward atmosphere by sharing news about the film <Handsome Guys> in which they both appear. Scheduled for release this summer, <Handsome Guys> is a comedy film featuring a cast of talented actors including Lee Hee-jun, Gong Seung-yeon, Lee Sung-min, Park Ji-hwan, and Lee Kyu-hyung.
The official opening ceremony began with a trailer video filled with expectations for the upcoming journey, followed by welcoming speeches from co-executive directors Min Sung-wook and Jung Joon-ho, who are serving for the second consecutive year. Min, a long-time figure at the Jeonju International Film Festival, emphasized that the festival is held annually under the values of 'independence' and 'alternative', stating, "The works you will encounter will serve as an opportunity to understand different cultures and thoughts in our lives." In contrast, actor Jung Joon-ho, who was selected as a co-executive director for the first time last year, humorously remarked, "Don't I look handsome up close?" He also expressed his commitment to revitalizing Jeonju's economy through the film festival, highlighting the importance of coexistence between the region and the festival.
Following the opening declaration by Jeonju Mayor and Chairman Woo Beom-ki, a congratulatory performance by pianist Oh Eun-ha and percussion ensemble AQUI took place. The beautiful piano melodies combined with traditional percussion instruments like the kkwaenggwari, buk, and janggu were enough to captivate the attention of the international press attending the opening ceremony.
Subsequently, a session was held to hear from the jury members of each section, programmer Hur Jin-ho, and director Miyake Sho of the opening film <All of Dawn>. International competition jury members Dera Campbell, Matías Piñeiro, Yoo Ji-tae, and Korean competition jury members Giovanna Fulvi and Tong Kwei-yu took the stage to share their thoughts on participating as jury members. Among them, Yoo Ji-tae, who visited Jeonju as an actor, director, and jury member, expressed the difficulty of judging films. "Personally, I don't really like the title 'jury member'. Making films is like walking the path of a pilgrim. It's not easy to evaluate a work that someone has made with care based on the jury's subjective view. Nevertheless, I will do my best to judge. I hope that the Jeonju Film Festival will become a festival like a flower for directors, writers, and aspiring actors writing in their rooms," he said.
Director Hur Jin-ho, who took on the role of 'J Special: Programmer of the Year', returned from Italy to participate in this opening ceremony. Director Hur recently achieved the 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 with his film <Ordinary Family>. He humorously mentioned that he couldn't attend the two film festivals where he won the awards, saying, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the jury members," eliciting laughter. Additionally, he expressed his excitement about being selected as the programmer of the year, saying, "It's thrilling to be in the position of choosing rather than being chosen. I'm delighted to be selected as the 'Programmer of the Year' in Jeonju, which is also my hometown." Director Hur has selected his works <One Fine Spring Day>, <April Snow>, as well as director Ha Gil-jong's <The March of Fools>, Wim Wenders' <Paris, Texas>, and Yasujiro Ozu's <Tokyo Story> to share with the audience.
The opening ceremony concluded with director Miyake Sho of the opening film <All of Dawn>, which was selected as the sole opening film among the 232 works submitted to this year's festival. Director Miyake Sho, who visited Jeonju in 2019 with <And 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 even invited as the opening film, which surprised me. I'm very happy." He also pointed out the viewing points of the film, saying, "Please pay attention to the characters in <All of Dawn>. The story depicts each character wanting to appear cool to others, but as the story progresses, they break free from that and become liberated. Making this film made me feel honest and pure. I hope you will think about this as well."
The opening ceremony concluded with the statement, "Through films filled with challenge and innovation, we explore new worlds and discover new possibilities." Despite the sudden downpour in Jeonju, the enthusiasm of the guests and fans who filled the venue seemed to represent the love for films in Jeonju, celebrating its 25th birthday.
