London Korean Film Festival and JEONJU International Film Festival presents Jeonju Shorts Part 1
Since its first iteration in 2000, the JEONJU International Film Festival, which has positioned itself as one of Korea’s major film festivals, has endeavoured to present the ‘cutting edge’ of cinema. The modus operandi of JEONJU IFF is to present works at the forefront of alternative, independent and artistic contemporary film.
The Korean Competition for Shorts is one of JEONJU IFF’s key sections. Here, you can meet Korea’s freshest, most daring narratives. While this is largely thanks to the festival coinciding with university film graduation project submission periods, the JEONJU IFF Korean Competition for Shorts section has been lauded as the country’s most fiercely competitive.
I hope that through the 23rd JEONJU International Film Festival Korean Competition for Shorts, you might gain a glimpse into the concerns of young Korean directors and the questions they pose, as well as appreciating their ever-developing artistic world.
In this programme:
In the Dry Stream 유빈과 건
Director: Kang Ji-Hyo
Drama / 2022 / 26min
Yu-bin spends every moment he can in the forest with his best friend, Geon, who resides in a cave. They talk, play, make strange shrines with animal heads and ribbons, as Yu-bin finds joy only in the woods. But when construction threatens to take away Geon’s home, Yu-bin will stop at nothing to save his friend and the forest, much to his mother’s dismay. A subtle and poignant tale of childhood dreams that must make way for unhappy adult realities.
Wunderkammer 10.0 분더카머 10.0
Director: Ki Yelim, Park Soyun, Jung Inwoo
Experimental / 2021 / 31min
An operating system tries to map a city, discovering strange ruins. What purpose did these ruins serve? Who were the people who occupied these spaces? What are the objects, both real and virtual, that have served as their legacy for future cartographers? What is a tea cup, or a travel blog, if there is no one left to partake in its use? Part science fiction, part social commentary, part art installation, this short is both a mystery and a manifesto.
Transit 트랜짓
Director: Moon Hyein
Drama/ 2022 / 28min
Miho has finally had gender-affirming surgery, and is back to her profession as a gaffer. While some of the crew welcome and accept her, others find it difficult to hide their confusion over Miho’s identity, and she starts to break under the strain and the adaptation of her body to her identity. Somehow, she develops a bond with the film’s child actress, who slowly accepts Miho for who she truly is. Friendship between kindred spirits knows no bounds of conformity.
Light It Up at 2am 새벽 두시에 불을 붙여
Director: Yoo Jongseok
Mystery / 2022 / 19min
Seori recalls the story of her friend Yurim. They and other girls find themselves at the mercy of the Headmistress of a Technical Institute. It claims to teach the girls a trade, but in reality, they are all but imprisoned, the Headmistress doling out punishment at whim and withholding their mail. At their wit’s end, the girls decide to take drastic measures, but even those are not enough for Yurim, whose final, desperate act is a painful cry for help.
The London Korean Film Festival will return to celebrate its 17th year from 3 November - 17 November 2022, featuring 35+ cinema screenings in leading venues around London.