'New Hope'... 2021 Pyeongchang International Peace Film Festival Opens in June

6.17 ~ 22 Held at 'Olympic Medal Plaza'

Pyeongchang International Peace Film Festival Official Poster

[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-chul] The 2021 Pyeongchang International Peace Film Festival will be held under the theme "A NEW HOPE" from June 17 to 22 in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province.

According to Gangwon Province on the 21st, this festival, which continues the spirit of peace from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, will invite and compete with over 70 films from more than 30 countries worldwide.

This year features 'Cinematic Gangwon,' showcasing Gangwon's cinematic achievements, 'Pyeongyang Cinema,' where films related to unification and division can be enjoyed, and films released last year that were difficult to meet audiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The competitive program is divided into International Feature Competition and Korean Short Film Competition, with a total of 828 entries from 38 countries. The 15 finalists for the Korean Short Film Competition and the finalists for the International Feature Competition will be announced at the official press conference.

On the final day of the festival, awards for the competitive program and the Audience Special Award, selected directly by the audience jury, will be announced together.

A total of 109 entries were submitted for the pitching project supporting film planning and development, and the finalists will be announced on May 10.

Works reflecting the festival’s identity from various perspectives are selected in the 'Empathy for the Era' and 'Empathy for Unification' sections. Finalists will participate in pitching programs and public presentations during the festival period, with winners announced thereafter.

Under the theme of coexistence, a Gangwon regional youth peace academy combining environment, peace, and mime will be held, along with workshops hosted by the Gangwon Independent Film Association.

Bang Eun-jin, Executive Director of the Pyeongchang International Peace Film Festival, said, "The reason we emphasize 'hope' is because it is what we need most right now," adding, "We dream of a humble and hopeful film festival where we can meet audiences through new relationships."