Bang Eun-jin (방은진)

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

For its sixth omnibus feature film "If You Were Me 4", the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has brought together five directors to capture the magic and complexities of being a teenager. The closing film for the 2008 Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) makes a promising theatrical release June 4 despite tough competition with big Hollywood flicks.

Along with JIFF's popular digital franchise, the human rights project continues to positively contribute to the omnibus genre. In past years, directors such as Park Chan-wook participated ("If You Were Me", 2003), and this time Bang Eun-jin, Jeon Gye-soo, Lee Hyeon-seung, Yoon Seong-ho and Kim Tae-yong each offer a small gem of a piece.

Bang, who debuted with the bloody thriller "Princess Aurora", offers something bright in "Blue Birds on the Desk". The story itself is rather typical of 1990s TV dram...More

By Nigel D'Sa
Contributing Writer

The 9th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) is nearing, and an impressive line-up of films has been announced for this year's event.

Set in its picturesque namesake city in Jeollabuk-do (province), JIFF runs May 1-9, bringing together innovative and independent films and filmmakers from around the world.

This year's program boasts a record total of 169 films with opening night going to Manda Kunitoshi's The Kiss in its International Premiere.

Japanese writer-turned-director Manda has already gained notice and won prizes at Cannes for his previous films, making this latest work highly anticipated.

JIFF's curtain-closer will be the Korean omnibus film "If You Were Me 4", produced by the National Human Rights Commission.

Each film in the series has a human rights issue as its theme with past concerns ranging from discrimination to forced surgery and bringing together a group of talented directors.

This year's project features five shorts on the theme of contemporary Korean youth and the stress of education and growing up.

The participating directors were Bang Eun-jin ("Princess Aurora"), Kim Tae-yong ("Family Ties" - "The Birth of a Family"), Lee Hyeon-seung ("Il Mare"), Jeon Gye-soo ("The Ghost Theater") and Yoon Seong-ho ("Milky Way Liberation Front").

JIFF has renamed its 'Indie Vision' section the 'International Competition' section, raising its profile and adding a second-best film prize, the 'Daum Special Jury ...More

Ten Korean features will have their World Premiere at the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) this spring. Now in it's 9th edition the festival will run May 1st – 9th in the attractive and historical city of Jeonju, in North Jeolla province.

Korean highlights include documentary director Kim Dong-won's latest, "63 Years On", about the 'comfort women' enslaved by the Japanese military in stations across Asia during WW2. The film provides an historical investigation along with interviews with victims still living in Korea, China, and the Philippines. KIM is best known for his 2003 film Repatriation which raised the documentary genre to commercial prominence in South Korea.

In the Korean Cinema on the Move section, presents 10 new independent features mostly by debut directors. Among the most interesting are "Synching Blue" by SEO Won-tae, a director whose shorts films have garnered praise for their visual arrangements. This HD feature is about a man who seeks comfort in adult web sites but is unable to function in a relationship with a real woman.

"Children of God" by director YI Seung-jun is a documentary about the coexistence of life and death along a holy river in Nepal where people go to cremate their loved ones. "My Dear Diary" by debut directing duo KIM Baek-joon and JEONG Seong...More

The 9th edition of the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), second only to Pusan among Korea's top movie-going events, will take place May 1 – 9, 2008 in its picturesque namesake city, in North Jeolla province. At a press conference held in Seoul last week, JIFF announced an impressive line-up of 169 films.

Festival opener will be MANDA Kunitoshi's The Kiss in its International Premiere. Japanese writer-turned-director MANDA has already gained notice and won prizes at Cannes for his previous films, making his latest work highly anticipated.

Korean anthology film If You Were Me 4 will close the festival, this time featuring five shorts on the theme of contemporary Korean youth. Rising Korean directors including Bang Eun-jin ("...More

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

The 7th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) will take place from April 27 to May 5 in Chonju, North Cholla Province.

With its main focus on innovative and experimental films through digital media, a range of alternative and independent films will be screened for its nine-day run in the southern part of the nation.

"We'll show movies that maximize the potential of digital media, creativity and experimentalism as we have intended since the launch of the festival", Jeong Soo-wan, programmer of JIFF, said. "But we'll also screen a range of movies that general audiences will find interesting".

Opening with this year's Berlin Silver Bear winner "Offside", by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, the festival will show 192 films from 42 countries. The Korean-Japanese co-production film "Don't Look Back", by local director Kim Young-nam, will close the festival.

"Offside" is a story about a group of Iranian girls who attempt to ...More