23rd Jeonju International Film Festival Dazzles With Stars & Amazing Films

A new cinema complex will be built on the site of the Jeonju Dome, which hosted the opening ceremony of the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival on the night of April 28, 2022.

A crowd of eager moviegoers applauded the stars and filmmakers as they walked the red carpet, albeit many of them wearing masks, at the ever-safety-conscious film festival.

The Jeonju Dome has been used for the opening and closing ceremonies and other major events of the yearly film festival since it was first built in  1970. Opening ceremony tickets sold out in  under three minutes this year.

In addition to Justin H. Min, who stars in director Kogonada's opening film After Yang, guests on the red carpet included master director Im Kwon-taek, in attendance for the Taehung Pictures retrospective, Locarno film festival artistic director Lily Hinstin, a member of the Korean Competition jury, Miss Granny star Na Moon, in attendance for Lee Soon- sung's feature debut My Perfect Roommate, recently picked up by Finecut, and Brazilian actress Mari Oliveira.

“This will be the last Jeonju Dome because from next year, we will start to build a home for Jeonju cinema here - a sanctuary for films, a sort of cinema centre,” according to chairman and Jeonju mayor Kim.

“I wanted to preserve Jeonju film festival as a liberated area for free expression. Art and artists could be independent of political power, conglomerate capital, and social norms in Jeonju, even during the painful [years of] blacklisting,”  he added when referring to the "painful [years of] blacklisting" under the administration of impeached ex-president Park Geun-hye. He also brought up rising concerns that a conservative-led government may try to reintroduce similar measures in Jeonju.

“We’ve kept our original intentions for 23 years and will maintain them,” As he opened the festival, which runs until May 7, he stated, “We love and respect all films and filmmakers.”

Lee Tae-won, a recently departed Korean film producer, received a posthumous Contribution to Korean Cinema award from Kim. Son Lee Ji-seung, director and producer of  Socialphobia and Haeundae, accepted on his father's behalf.

Jeonju's Taehung Pictures retrospective of great Korean films, including Im Kwon-2002 taek's Cannes Best Director winner Chihwaseon and Kim Yoo-1995 jin's sensual historical drama My Dear Keumhong, is dedicated to Lee's memory this year.