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Jeonju film festival concludes with focus on hidden realities
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By
Baek Byung-yeul
Published
May 10, 2026 1:54 pm
KST
Jung Jun-ho, right, co-director of the organizing committee of the Jeonju International Film Festival, speaks during a press conference on the closing day of the festival at Jeonju Cine Complex in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Friday. Courtesy of Jeonju International Film Festival organizing committee
The 27th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) wrapped up its 10-day run on Friday, reinforcing its identity as a hub for independent and alternative cinema by shining a spotlight on the hidden realities of disappearing spaces and those suffering in the shadows of society.
This year’s festival, held under the slogan "Beyond the Frame," showcased 237 films from 54 countries. The festival recorded a high seat occupancy rate of 82.1 percent, with 442 out of 610 screenings selling out.
The festival concluded with the screening of the documentary
"The Longest Night: Namtaeryeong,"
directed by Kim Hyun-ji. The documentary captures the aftermath of Korea’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, focusing on the protesters who gathered in southern Seoul on Dec. 21.
"I discovered hope in the way different people faced one another and accepted their differences at Namtaeryeong, which is why I chose this subject," Kim said during a press conference on the closing day.
Earlier on Wednesday, the festival announced its major award winners, highlighting films that delve into the anxieties of reality and the delicate fractures within families and human relationships.
The Grand Prize in the International Competition went to the Argentine film "The Night Is Fading Away." Directed by Ezequiel Salinas and Ramiro Sonzini, the movie tells the poignant story of a projectionist who secretly lives in a declining municipal cinema and struggles to protect the space as it faces permanent closure.
In the Korean Competition, director Lee Seon-yeon’s "The Summer That Slipped Away" took home the Grand Prize. The movie depicts a family living out of a van while working part-time mobile phone sales jobs.
The Grand Prize for the Korean Competition for Shorts was awarded to "Touch, Took" by director Tae Ji-won, which follows the delicate emotional shifts and anxieties of teenagers who have dropped out of school.
The organizers said they will keep working on making the festival not only a niche event for independent cinema but also a widely loved event by the general public.
"Maintaining an identity for 27 years is impossible without sacrifice," Jung Jun-ho, co-director of the festival, said Friday. "We hope people can truly feel what an independent and art film festival is through JIFF. We will continue to improve and evolve to remain a beloved event."
The festival also featured special programs, including a retrospective on New York underground cinema of the 1960s and 70s and a tribute to the late veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki.
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