The Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea's premier platform for indie and art house cinema, kicks off Wednesday featuring 224 films from 57 countries.
The 26th edition of the annual festival will begin its 10-day run with an opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m. at the Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, located about 190 kilometers south of Seoul.
Following the ceremony, the Romanian film "Kontinental '25," directed and written by Radu Jude, will open the festival, JIFF said.
The comedy-drama film depicts the moral crisis a bailiff suffers after a homeless man she tries to evict commits suicide. It won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February.
JIFF will conclude with the Korean documentary film "In the Land of Machines," directed by Kim Ok-young. The film follows the lives of three migrant workers from Nepal employed in South Korea.
Throughout the festival, 224 movies will be screened across Jeonju. Among them, 80 films will have their global premieres at the festival.
A special section focusing on democracy will feature six films that examine political upheaval around the world, offering reflections on South Korea's recent political crisis following impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law.
The "J Special: Programmer of the Year" section, now in its fifth year, features actress Lee Jung-hyun. She has selected three films to present: Park Chan-wook's "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," Hirokazu Koreeda's "Nobody Knows" and the Dardenne brothers' "L'Enfant." JIFF will also screen works featuring the actress, including her debut movie, "A Petal" (1996). (Yonhap)
