Jeonju Festival Set To Show 'Radical' Types of New Film
Published: 05 Jan. 2003, 12:31
During a press conference Tuesday at the Cinecube Theater in Kwanghwamun, five panelists expressed their pleasure in opening a film festival in a class of its own. The festival attracted favorable attention from young film enthusiasts last year with the inclusion of so-called "alternative cinema."
The festival director, Jung Sung-il, more popularly known as the editor of film magazine "Kino," said the focus of this year's festival is the incorporation of even more radical ideas.
"I hope that the audience doesn't take this too literally, but when we say 'radical cinema' it is meant not only from a political point of view, but also from a cinematic point of view as we want to extend the scope of this year's festival a bit," he said.
As an example, the festival will feature a special collection of experimental digital films made by young Korean filmmakers between the ages of 12 and 19, titled "Digital 1219." Mr. Jung said he was literally stunned by the quality of the films and the extent of imagination of the teenagers.
Also present at the press conference were two digital filmmakers from abroad. Jia Zhang Ke from China, who has been praised by directors Wong Kar-wai and Hou Xiano-xian as the most promising Chinese filmmaker of the next generation, will present "Public Space." Ke emphasized the accessibility and affordability of digital filming to all, and said that he is happy at the prospect of finding more peers with whom he can share ideas.
John Akomfrah, an English filmmaker who won an award for his documentary film "Riot" at last year's festival, will present "Night Work" in April. Dealing with the topic of cyberspace, Akomfrah hopes to demonstrate the aesthetic qualities of digital film making.
The festival will also feature several new categories including: Documentary Biennale, New Wave filmmakers in Taiwan, Asian Independent Cinema and a symposium titled, "Radical Cinema, Radical Culture."
The festival begins on April 27 and will run for a week.
by Park Soo-mee
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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