The 4th Seongbuk Youth Invincible Film Festival, hosted and organized by Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) and the Seongbuk Cultural Foundation, will be held from the 7th to the 13th of this month at the Arirang Cine Center (Arirang Indiewave, 82 Arirang-ro, Seongbuk-gu).
This year, a total of 818 works were submitted to the competitive section of the Seongbuk Youth Invincible Film Festival, an increase from last year. After a fierce preliminary round, 34 works advanced to the finals. The final judges include director Lee Han, film critic Dalsy Parket, and actress Lee Seol. A total prize money of 16 million KRW will be awarded to the winners of the competitive section.
As this year’s opening film, the festival will screen "Rainy Walk," the first short film by director Im Soon-rye, in celebration of her 30th anniversary since debut. A Q&A session with director Im Soon-rye and film critic Jung Sung-il will be held, providing an opportunity to share dreams and concerns held by young filmmakers and the short film festival.
In the non-competitive section "Seongbuk Sequence," works from universities located in Seongbuk-gu (Kookmin University, Seokyeong University, Sungshin Women’s University, Korea National University of Arts) that have achieved success at major domestic film festivals such as the Busan International Film Festival and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will be spotlighted. In particular, four short films produced with support for film and acting major students in Seongbuk-gu will be unveiled for the first time through the "Seongbuk Sequence Omnibus."
The special program "Ryu Ah-bel Actor Exhibition" will introduce short films featuring the shining youth of actor Ryu Ah-bel, who appeared in popular dramas such as tvN’s "My Mister" and JTBC’s "Not a Hero, But...". Actor Ryu Ah-bel will also serve as the host of this year’s opening ceremony to cheer on young filmmakers.
Meanwhile, the "Short Film Production Support Project," launched in 2021 to support the creative activities of young people, will screen director Lee Da-young’s "The Hedgehog’s Dream," selected as a supported production this year, alongside "Time to See the Sunlight," which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2nd Seongbuk Youth Invincible Film Festival. Actors Ki Joo-bong and Noh Jae-won will attend the Q&A session with the audience.
Lee Seung-ro, chairman of the organizing committee of the 4th Seongbuk Youth Invincible Film Festival and mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, "Our festival was established to provide a stage where young filmmakers can realize their dreams," adding, "I hope that independent and short films, which form the foundation of Korean cinema, will take root widely through our festival."
All programs of the 4th Seongbuk Youth Invincible Film Festival are free of charge and supported by the Korean Film Council, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Woori Bank, and MG Saemaeul Geumgo.
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