On June 24, Dong-gu District in Gwangju announced that it will host a special exhibition titled 'World Film Book Exhibition' to mark the 130th anniversary of the birth of cinema, featuring over 3,000 books related to film.
The 'World Film Book Exhibition,' which is the eleventh themed book exhibition by Donggu Humanities Center, will be held at the Donggu Humanities Center from July 11 to September 28. The exhibition will showcase more than 3,000 film-related books, including film magazines, world film history, screenplays, director studies, film criticism collections, star photo books, film music, storyboards, and collections of film posters.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of cinema. The starting point of film history is generally considered to be the first public film screening, which took place on December 28, 1895, at the Grand Caf? in Paris, where films such as 'Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat' were shown. Over the past 130 years, films have been produced and screened, and numerous books have been published that study stars, directors, and all aspects surrounding cinema.
The largest portion of the exhibition is dedicated to film magazines. Magazines such as 'Screen,' 'Roadshow,' 'Kino,' and 'Cine21' were leading media outlets during the golden era of Korean cinema. Visitors will also find 'FILO,' a bimonthly film magazine that continues to attempt professional film criticism, even as critical discourse in the film industry has waned.
'Scene 1980,' a Gwangju-based film criticism magazine, is also featured with a total of 20 issues on display. 'Scene 1980' began with a preparatory issue published on September 15, 2019, and has since released 20 issues of its film criticism magazine.
Books related to screenwriting are also available. Visitors can find the 'Anthology of Korean Screenplays' published by the Korean Film Council, as well as screenplay collections by Choi Inho, Kim Ki-young, and Song Gilhan. Introductory books such as 'Story: How to Write a Screenplay' also fill the shelves. In addition, the exhibition features the Hannarae Cinema Series, film books from Hyundae Mihaksa, and specialized film books from Dongmunseon.
During the exhibition period, there will also be a themed lecture. On July 18 at 3 p.m., a lecture titled 'Bong Joonho's World of Film: Failing to Succeed' will be given by Kim Sujin, former editor-in-chief of 'Scene 1980.' The lecture will offer an in-depth analysis of Bong Joonho's major works, including 'Memories of Murder,' 'The Host,' and 'Parasite,' and share these insights with the audience.
Im Taek, head of Dong-gu District, stated, "I hope this film book exhibition, organized to commemorate the 130th anniversary of film history, will be a special and valuable experience for film enthusiasts," adding, "I look forward to visitors taking time to relax with film books at the Donggu Humanities Center, filled with the fragrance of summer."
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