14th Jeonju International Film Festival Final Report

Published on 2013/05/07

- Cinema Street crowded with various guests and filmmakers visiting from all around the world!
- Tickets of all sections including FOCUS ON and STRANER THAN CINEMA had evenly sold out, organizing film programs was conservative
- 5th Jeonju Project Market brought huge success within steady managements!
-Special Attraction in JIFF 2013! On stage talk show and live performances had set on fire!

On 25 Apr (Thu), 14th Jeonju International Film Festival that commenced at Sori Arts Center closed on 3 May (Fri) with visitors' attentions and involvements.

1. Enjoy JIFF 2013! Entertainments and JIFF's Talk show programs are getting hotter!

JIFF 2013 has received positive response again from guests and audiences crowded on Cinema Street from all around the world. Visitors in the festival certainly loved special arrangement and events after the movie screenings. Renewed and diversified talk show programs in JIFF Lounge and venues were especially popular in this year. In JIFF Lounge, meeting with directors and stars of "SHORT! SHORT! SHORT! 2013", "Fist of Legend", "Dear Dolphin" made the festival much more joyful as well as great lectures of the film critics and humanities scholars after the movie screenings. About 65,300 guests were expected to visit this year even though numbers of screenings seats were decreased by 1,300. Also, unpleasant weather condition was one of the reasons caused such reduction. However, passionate live performances throughout the rainy days had proved their energy and audiences who filled theaters showed their unchanged love for movies once again.

2. Popularity of JIFF TALK with various topics!

JIFF 2013 changed numbers of the program events this year and total 23 events were processed. It showed that communication with guests and audiences was getting much stronger and more intimate. Renewed program, Master Class was carried out interesting discussion with Director Ryoo Seung-wan and Darezhan OMIRBAYEV. TALK CLASS helps to comprehend films with critics, philosophers, humanities scholars as well as film directors and guests. Especially, CINEMA MEETS KAFKA THE CATSLE, DIR Michael HANEKE with philosopher KANG Shin-joo received high praises as a very unique program that only JIFF can provide. The lecture was going along about two hours and half. CINEMA TALK was the meeting place for audiences with directors of "SHORT! SHORT! SHORT! 2013" and its original author, Kim Young-ha. JIFF LOUNGE TALK invited the guests of "Fist of Legend": Director Kang Woo-suk with actors HWANG Jeong-min, Yu Jun-sang, JEONG Woong-in and SEONG Ji-roo. Moreover, CONCERT TALK showed performance of musicians of "Party 51". Audiences witnessed how popular these programs were during the festival.

3. All sections including FOCUS ON and experimental films had all sold out!

Just like last year, Including Opening Film FOXFIRE, Jeonju International Film Festival's representative film production projects "JEONJU DIGITAL PROJECT 2013: STRANGERS" and "Short! Short! Short! 2013" drew great attentions this year as well. Especially, tickets for "SHORT! SHORT! SHORT! 2013" on weekends were sold out online within 31 second. Director Paul Thomas ANDERSON of THE MASTER and Director Diederik EBBINGE of MATTERHORN caught the eyes of audiences. The documentary film "Project Cheonan Ship" directed by Baek Seung-woo and produced by Chung Ji-young, "Dear Dolphin" and "Cheer Up Mr. Lee" in KOREAN COMPETITION also amazed viewers. In addition, lots of Bollywood films were also applauded this year, AZHAGARSAMY'S HORSE of SPECIAL : BEYOND BOLLYWOOD was a huge hit. Moreover, tickets for THE CASTLE directed by Michael HANEKE of SPECIAL : KAFKA MEETS FILM were sold out very quickly. Screenings of STRANGER THAN CINEMA had occupied over 80% by audiences that proved the stabilization of organizing programs.
Please refer to the Top 10 most popular sections.

4. Reorganization of Jeonju Project Market, steady managements brought up successful ending!

Jeonju Project Market that began in order to strengthen the Korean film industry has faced 5th projects this year. The whole process was progressive and the projects certainly ended with huge success. To encourage film production, Jeonju Project Promotion (JPP) brought all support together as a one. And it had been reinforced lots of benefits of film production as followed its own purpose that strengthened the programs to increase the possibility of investment in film production as well as the distribution. Jeonju Project Promotion held 'Fiction Pitching' and 'Documentary Pitching' on 27 Apr (Sat), total 238 of film industry members had participated comparing to last year. The special judges were investment expert mainly from CJ and SHOWBOX. This year, jury members had focused on ideas that had its originality and creativeness that can also be released soon. Industry Conference was operated with the topic of the new investments of film production 'Crowd Funding.' This conference was held on 28 Apr at 2PM with about 70 filmmakers as well as marketing experts being involved.

Industry Video Library is a combined organization provided by Jeonju International Film Festival and Korean Film Council. There are 150 films of JIFF's INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, KOREA COMPETITION, KOREA SHORT COMPETITION and KOREA CINEMASCAPE. 75 films were provided (33 last year) from Korea Film Commission in order to introduce Korean films internationally. Staffs of Mumbai International Film Festival, Sahkalin International Film Festival, Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, art director Carlo CHATRIAN of Locarno International Film Festival, and programmer ISHIZAKA Kenji of Tokyo International Film Festival were main visitors. This proved the fact that lots of international guests are paying attentions to Industry Video Library.
Please refer to the 5th Jeonju Project Market.

5. Special Attraction in JIFF 2013! Talk events and performances had set on fire

Cinema Street of Jeonju was full of promising entertainments packed with live music, films and performance arts. 44 events were held even though it was 33 events last year; festival was also filled with visitors who interested in the outdoor performances even in rainy days.

Appreciation to all love and supports for 14th Jeonju International Film Festival and promise of bring better 15th Jeonju International Film Festival in 2014!

For nine busy days, 14th Jeonju International Film Festival has been seeking to screen diverse films and provide entertainments at the same time. JIFF 2013 showed the possibility of next leap with special guests' participation from Korea to all around the world with Laurent CANTET, Katie COSENI, Jung Woo-sung, and Ryoo Seung-wan. Although the festival was less than perfect organized with new staff members, however, this would be regarded as an opportunity to build up a new turning point by serving as a foundation of growth. Jeonju International Film Festival is willing to make best effort with careful managements as required especially for the shuttle buses, screening systems and services for guests and audiences. Additionally, JIFF would keep seeking to authenticity as a festival by developing more plot-devising programs like success of "SHORT! SHORT! SHORT! 2013".