Chungmuro in central Seoul used to be the epicenter of the Korean film industry.
But with film production companies, movie studios and theaters moving out to other areas the Chungmuro International Film Festival is being held for the second time to restore the fame of what once was the heart of the local film industry.
[Reporter : Yoo Jihae julz1201@arirang.co.kr]
"Under the themes 'Discover, Restoration and Creation' organizers collected some 170 films from more than 40 countries with the aim of bridging the gap between past and present".
Last year was a let-down for organizers who were criticized for solely focusing on older films.
This year's festival is expanding from the original concept of discovering the tradition of international movies to one of appreciating the history of Korean films and creating a movie culture that suits the ever-changing media of the 21st century.
[Interview : Jeong Beom, Managing Director Chungmuro International Film Festival]
"We are still basing the overall concept of the second edition of the Chungmuro Film Festival on films that allow people to reminisce over years gone by. However for this year, we will be putting more emphasis on programs that could appeal to a wider audience".
And to do this. an international competition is being held to discover hidden cinematic treasures among a slew of new films from France, Canada, Russia and Thailand that hold a chance of becoming the future classics.
And in the Masters section dedicated to renowned film makers or cinematic artists ground-breaking works by visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull will be screened such as Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and Steven Spielberg's "Close Enounters of the Third Kind".
[Interview : Douglas Trumbull, Visual effect specialist ]
"I very much like the opportunity to show how we went about making the movie. It was very mechanical, very simple. It was in the era when we had no computer graphics, no digital motors, no digital motion controls, no blue screen, no optical printing".
Organizers have selected German cinema for an overview of the country's film history and in the Rediscovering Asian Cinema section tantalizing varieties of the late Japanese director Kon Ichikawa's cinematic legacy as well a wide spectrum of thriller films is to be screened.
The festival is open in various venues across the capital including the Daehan Theater, Myungbo Arts Center and National Theater of Korea.
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