'The 5th Chungmuro Film Festival - Directors Week' Held

The Only Director-Centered Film Festival in Korea, an Online Non-Face-to-Face Event from December 1 to 5, with All Programs Planned and Produced by the Director

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jung-gu District Office in Seoul (Mayor Seo Yang-ho), together with the Jung-gu Cultural Foundation and the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK), will hold the "5th Chungmuro Film Festival - Directors Week" as an online non-face-to-face film festival from December 1 to 5.

The "5th Chungmuro Film Festival - Directors Week" is a newly created film festival by the Jung-gu Cultural Foundation, which led the Chungmuro Musical Film Festival until last year, in collaboration with the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) this year.

Last month, the two organizations signed a business agreement to revitalize the Korean film industry, which has been stagnant due to COVID-19, restore the film industry functions of Chungmuro, and promote the development of the Korean film industry. Following the Chungmuro Musical Film Festival held up to the 4th edition, they have started their first joint project as the "5th Chungmuro Film Festival - Directors Week."

A representative of the Jung-gu Cultural Foundation stated that this film festival is inspired by the Directors' Fortnight, an unofficial section of the Cannes Film Festival, and is the only director-centered film festival in Korea where directors plan and produce all the programs of the festival.

It consists of four programs: 'By The Directors,' 'For The Directors,' 'Of The Directors,' and 'With The Directors.' It is expected to be an opportunity for in-depth discussions about directors and films, as well as to offer various perspectives on directing.

Furthermore, it will be a meaningful project where directors share their lives as creators and build strong solidarity. It will be a special time for filmmakers and all those who dream of becoming filmmakers. The programs of Directors Week will be gradually revealed starting next month.

The Jung-gu Cultural Foundation has been continuously conducting film-related projects such as film festivals and film creation support to restore and regenerate Chungmuro's functions. The Directors Guild of Korea (DGK), which includes directors with diverse personalities such as Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, and Kim Bora, has been carrying out various projects to promote directors' activities and rights, including 'Bechdel Day 2020' held during Gender Equality Week, the first attempt at production with 'Cinematic Drama: SF8,' and projects for discovering screenplays and supporting short film production.

Jung-gu expects that the combination of the creative capabilities of the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) and the expertise of the Jung-gu Cultural Foundation, which has carried out various cultural and artistic projects, will open a new path in Chungmuro that has never been seen in domestic film festivals so far.

Seo Yang-ho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "This Chungmuro Film Festival is focusing on substance rather than scale due to COVID-19, and many efforts are being made by those involved. I hope that the old glory of Chungmuro will be reborn as a creative film space with a vision for the future."