Cutting-edge Technology Meets Film... Gumi City Successfully Hosts 'Gyeongbuk International AI and Metaverse Film Festival'

Online and Offline, Engaging with the Audience... A Festival for Everyone

Film Director 'Kim Yu-Young Special Award' ... Work by Director Hong Ye-Jin

Gumi City, North Gyeongsang Province, announced that the nation's first "2024 Gyeongsangbuk-do International AI·Metaverse Film Festival," held on June 15 and 16 at Geumosan Lawn Square and other locations throughout the city, concluded successfully.

2024 Gyeongsangbuk-do International AI Metaverse Film Festival.

The opening ceremony, held on the 15th at Geumosan Lawn Square, was attended by Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, Kim Jangho, Mayor of Gumi, renowned domestic film directors, actors, film industry figures, as well as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan, the Chairman of the Newport Beach Film Festival Organizing Committee from the United States, film industry professionals from the United States, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and more, along with competition-winning directors and audience members, totaling over 2,000 participants.

The event captivated the audience with the organizing committee chairman’s opening declaration, a slate performance, a VR drawing performance as the theme act, awards for competition winners, and celebratory performances by popular singers Norazo and Lyn.

Prior to the opening ceremony, the red carpet event featured famous film directors such as Lee Jangho, Yang Yunho, and Jang Cheolsoo, as well as promotional ambassadors including Jung Taewoo, Seo Jisoo (idol and actress), and Jian (from the film "Trap"). Film industry figures such as the organizing committee chairmen and actors from the United States, Kyrgyzstan, and Thailand also graced the occasion.

During the awards ceremony held alongside the opening, the rankings for the film competition, which took place from March to April this year, were revealed, heightening the tension in the venue. Out of 527 entries from 43 countries, the Grand Prize in the film category went to director Kim Sohee’s "My Dear," while in the video category, Russian director Sergey Kotintsev’s "Lullaby" took the top honor.

Notably, this year’s festival introduced the "Kim Yooyoung Special Award," drawing significant attention. Director Kim Yooyoung, a native of Gumi, is recognized as one of Korea’s leading film directors during the transition from silent to sound films, alongside director Na Unkyu of "Arirang," and made significant contributions to Korean film arts during the Japanese colonial period.

To honor director Kim Yooyoung, the city has operated the Kim Yooyoung Hall within the Gumi Visual Media Center, and the festival’s organizing committee established the "Kim Yooyoung Special Award" to commemorate his achievements. Director Hong Yejin’s "AI Is Too Much" was selected for this special award.

This film festival was highly significant as it presented a new paradigm for cinema by showcasing a new genre that fuses technology and culture through the convergence of AI, the metaverse, and film.

During the festival, citizens were able to enjoy movie screenings free of charge and experience new forms of visual aesthetics and immersion. A total of 48 films, including competition entries, invited films from exchange festivals, and special screenings, were available for free at multiplex theaters and the Gumi Visual Media Center. The GV (Guest Visit) sessions, where film directors and critics interacted with the audience at multiplex theaters, received enthusiastic responses from attendees.

Additionally, through the online film festival platform "GAMFF WORLD," anyone could watch films for free regardless of time and place, and various events such as guessing the award winners were also held.

The organizing committee of "GAMFF," which stands for "Gyeongsangbuk-do AI·Metaverse Film Festival," was formed in March this year, with Lim Youngha, Chairman of Daekyung Technology Co., as the chairperson, along with film director Yang Yunho, cartoonist Lee Hyunse, and Kim Jaeha, President of the Metaverse Society, as well as other top domestic experts in business, film arts, and technology, leading the festival to success.

Lim Youngha, Chairman of GAMFF’s organizing committee, stated, “Building on the successful hosting of this film festival, we will strive to establish it as a representative film festival of Korea through its second, third, and subsequent editions.”

Mayor Kim Jangho said, “This film festival was a meaningful event where innovative films incorporating AI and metaverse technologies were showcased, allowing visitors to experience the fusion of cultural arts and cutting-edge technology. I hope that the ‘2024 Gyeongsangbuk-do International AI·Metaverse Film Festival,’ which began here in Gumi, will continue to develop and become a global film festival.”