Hapcheon County Successfully Hosts the 5th Suryeohan Hapcheon Film Festival

A total of 14 teams and about 100 filmmakers attend the opening ceremony

The 5th SuRyeoHan Hapcheon Film Festival in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam, kicked off its fifth journey under the slogan "The Hapcheon Film Festival That Suits You." The opening ceremony, attended by film industry professionals, local residents, and audiences, was held grandly at the special stage of the Hapcheon Image Theme Park.

The opening ceremony featured a variety of events that drew the audience's attention, including the screening of a "trailer" produced by Hapcheon residents and introductions of participants in the Film Challenge.

Hapcheon County, Opening Ceremony of the 5th Suryeohan Hapcheon Film Festival.

In particular, a total of 14 teams and about 100 filmmakers selected through the first round of the "Film Challenge" attended the opening ceremony, adding to the festivities. The Film Challenge is an interactive program where creators produce and compete with short films shot in various locations around Hapcheon.

This year's festival offered a range of side events designed for communication and interaction with the audience. On the 4th, participatory programs such as the "God's Move Alkkagi Tournament" and a "Quiz Event" were held, while on the 5th, an outdoor screening of the film received an enthusiastic response from local residents.

On the final day of the festival, the 6th, the announcement of the Film Challenge winners marked the successful conclusion of the five-day celebration. The Grand Prize in the Film Challenge competition went to the New Age Film team for , who received a prize of 10 million won. The judges highly praised the outstanding performances of the actors and the technical excellence of the work, especially noting the beautiful portrayal of Hapcheon.

The Excellence Award went to the "Another Day" team for , and the Merit Award was given to the "Dance with Movies" team for . The Film Challenge is a program in which 14 teams and about 100 filmmakers, selected through the first round, complete and compete with short films set in Hapcheon. This year, 39 teams and 292 people applied.

A total of 10 outstanding domestic short films were screened at this year's festival, with 7,575 visitors coming to Hapcheon Image Theme Park and over 200 film industry professionals enjoying the film festival in Hapcheon.

Executive Committee Chair Heo Seongyong said, "It was impressive how the teams participating in the Film Challenge actively utilized Hapcheon's nature and culture to express the city from a new perspective in their works," adding, "The 5th SuRyeoHan Hapcheon Film Festival has become more than just a film festival; it has served as a venue for positive interaction between the region and the film industry."

County Governor Kim Yooncheol stated, "The SuRyeoHan Hapcheon Film Festival has greatly contributed to raising the profile of Hapcheon Image Theme Park, the most attractive film and drama set in the country, and to solidifying the image of 'Hapcheon Image City' as a cultural and tourism content hub," adding, "We will actively support the festival so that it can develop even further next year."