Jecheon International Music & Film Festival Opens on the 4th
Six Days of Celebration Blending Film and Music
Camping and Performances Set Against the Lakeside City Backdrop
(From the top left clockwise) Kang Ha Neul, Lee Joon Hyuk, Jang Do Yeon, Ryu Seung Ryong, Park Ji Hwan, Lee Myung Se, Lee Joo Young, Jeon Mi Do, Jo Woo Jin, Ha Young, Eric Serra, Gregory Manou. Photo by Jecheon International Music & Film Festival
"We will create a film festival that can be enjoyed freely and joyfully."
The 21st Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (JIMFF), led by Executive Director Jang Hang Jun, opens at 7 p.m. on September 4 at Jecheon Airfield. The opening ceremony will be hosted by actor Lee Joon Hyuk and broadcaster Jang Do Yeon, with festival ambassador "JIMFFace" Kang Ha Neul joining to mark the beginning of the celebration.
This year, a large number of filmmakers from Korea and abroad will gather in Jecheon. Lee Dong Ha, producer and jury president of the International Competition section, will serve as a judge alongside actor-director Yoo Ji Tae and director Kim Cho Hee. Directors Kang Yoon Sung, Kim Sung Hoon, Noh Deok, Lee Myung Se, Lee Joon Ik, Lee Ok Seop, Ahn Jae Hoon, Ahn Tae Jin, Lim Sun Ae, Yoon Dan Bi, Jung Cho Shin, Bong Man Dae, as well as actors Kim Eui Sung, Ryu Seung Ryong, Jo Woo Jin, Jeon Seok Ho, Jeon Mi Do, Park Ji Hwan, Oh Na Ra, and Lee Joo Young will also participate. Writer Kim Eun Hee has joined as an executive committee member, and producer Jang Won Seok has joined as an organizing committee member.
Eric Serra, the French maestro of film music, is well known for his work on "The Big Blue," "Leon: The Professional," and "GoldenEye." As this year's recipient of the Jecheon Film Music Award, he is visiting Korea for the first time to hold a special concert and masterclass. Indonesian master director Garin Nugroho will present his new film "Samsara," and former Cannes Film Market director Jerome Paillard will serve as jury president for the International Competition section "Music InSight." Beatrice Barison, actress from the International Competition selection "Banjeom," animator Alan Shaw and music consultant Kuldeep Bhav from "Rhythm of Flower," Peter Worsley from "John and Yoko," and director Sander Maran from "Chainsaw Is Calling" will also visit Jecheon.
The newly established "Music InSight" section this year is a competition category that spotlights creative music in Korean feature films. Alongside International Competition and New Talent, it will be presented as one of the festival's main programs.
Selected works for the 21st Jecheon International Music & Film Festival International Competition section. (From the top left clockwise) Rhythm of Flower, Banjum, Boyziga, LC's Song, Jakob's Words, John and Yoko, Fanfare, Prodigy, DJ Ahmet. Photo by Jecheon International Music & Film Festival
A total of eight films have been selected for the International Competition section. "Rhythm of Flower," an animation by director Amit Dutta, expresses the inner world of an aging musician through concise drawings and understated music. "Banjeom," directed by Marco Tullio Giordana, depicts a girl's growth and healing through piano melodies and premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. Also screened at Locarno, "LC's Song, Jakob's Words" by director Katalin Gyoedroes captures the unyielding voice of women even under oppression. "John and Yoko," directed by Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards, reconstructs the love and creative world of two artists using unreleased audio and footage.
Invited to the Cannes Film Festival, Emmanuel Courcol's "Fanfare" tells the story of brothers who become a true family through music. "DJ Ahmet," which won the Audience Award and Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, is directed by George M. Unkovski and portrays teenagers in a remote village in North Macedonia resisting oppression through electronic music and K-pop style dance. "Boy Ziga," directed by Shoshi Shulam, delicately captures the inner world of a lonely boy, while the debut film "Prodigy" by brothers Frederic and Valentin Fortier is based on the true story of two pianist sisters who overcome a rare genetic disorder and play with hope.
Programmer Cho Myung Jin said, "This year's International Competition selections offer deep reflections on the question 'What is music?' through a variety of themes and styles."
The opening film is "Musician" by director Gregory Manou, and the closing film is "Last Song for You" by director Liang Lien. Both works symbolize the identity of the festival, where music drives the narrative.
The Jecheon International Music & Film Festival runs through September 9 across Jecheon. Screenings, forums, and music performances will be held at JIMFF Cinema, Jecheon Cultural Center, and Haso Life Culture Center Walk, while the opening ceremony and "One Summer Night" stage will take place at Jecheon Airfield. At Uirimji Solbat Park, the "Camping & Music Festival" will add to the appeal of this multi-cultural event that unites film and music.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
