The first edition of the ASEAN Film Festival kicked off on Thursday with the screening of an Indonesian drama film and directors, guests and movie fans gathering at the Seoul Theater of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

“Film is an enriched escape from our stressful daily lives,” said Chung Hae-moon, secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Center, the festival’s organizer, at the opening ceremony. Chung hoped that the diverse array of films will provide windows of understanding into current lifestyles in Southeast Asian countries, while facilitating film industry cooperation between Korean and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Among the participants of the festival were Korean filmmaker Im Kwon-taek; ambassadors of ASEAN countries to Korea, including Dato’ Rohana Ramli of Malaysia; Rep. Ahn Hong-joon of the ruling Saenuri Party; and 10 ASEAN film directors who will be showcasing their films during the weeklong festival.

The Indonesian film “Maida’s House” (2009), directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja, was screened as the opening selection. The film is about the efforts of Maida, a young college student, to save a small school for street kids from being redeveloped into a major shopping mall.

“The film is an accurate and unpleasant depiction of Indonesia during the Japanese surrender in 1945 and May 1998 riots,” the director told The Korea Herald. “I am excited to meet other ASEAN film directors here and screen (my film) for the Korean audiences.”

A total of 10 films, one from each member nation of ASEAN, will be screened during the festival that commemorates the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit, which will be held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of bilateral relations at Busan Exhibition and Convention Center on Dec. 11 and 12.

The festival runs through Dec. 4 at the Seoul Theater of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Arts in central Seoul. Admission is free for all visitors. For more information, visit best.aseankorea.org.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)