Best of Seoul’s indie films to have 2nd screening

There will be a yearly roundup of Seoul’s independent films starting tonight and running until next week at Sangam CGV theater, in northern Seoul. The event will feature 71 of the best indie films to have been introduced to the Korean audience this year.
“Most entries are selections from films that already won small or big film awards recently,” said Lee Min-hui, an organizer of the event. “What you see at the festival will be very competitive.”
The opening film, “A Shark” by Kim Dong-hyun, for example, was the winner of last year’s festival. The 108-minute film tells the story of a poor fisherman in search for his city friend after catching a white shark. On the way, he encounters a homeless man and a prostitute. The film relies heavily on metaphor, with the shark symbolizing the innocence of the lower classes.
Other entries to have already won indie film awards include “Erotic Chaos Boy” by Choi Jin-sung, “Gender Equality” by Jo Joo-sang and “Garivegas” by Kim Sun-min.
Each film is notable for its depiction of minorities in Seoul. Garivegas, for instance, is a term coined by the director to describe a society of Asian immigrants in Garibong who came here expecting the town to be a place to be like Las Vegas.
Along with the domestic indie film fest, the organizers are also offering a chance to enjoy works by the prominent Japanese film director Shinji Aoyama. His latest film, “Eli, Eli lema sabachthani?” will be introduced along with six of his recent works. Mr. Aoyama will also hold a fan meeting on Sunday.
In addition, Sandra Schulberg, a leader in the U.S. independent film movement and the founder of the Independent Feature Project, will be in Seoul next Tuesday to hold a discussion session with a Korean audience.

by Lee Min-a

The screening schedule can be found at www.siff.or.kr. Tickets cost 5,000 won ($5) per film. English subtitles are available only with some films.