Director Yeon Sangho, Participating in the Festival as a Special Programmer of the Year

Jeonju International Film Festival website 

On March 31, an official press conference for the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival (JEONJU IFF) was held in CGV Yongsan, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Lee Joondong, Chairman of the JEONJU IFF, Kim Seungsoo, Chairman of the Organization (Mayor of Jeonju), and Programmer Moon Seok attended the press conference. Summarizing the goal of the JEONJU IFF, which marks its 23rd anniversary this year, is ‘To revive the vitality of the festival and invite the audience back to the film festival.’ To this end, JEONJU IFF plans to normalize the film festival before the pandemic, including this year's opening red carpet event and inviting overseas guests in the third year of the Pandemic. 

Chairman Lee Joondong said, "We will fully recover the festival this year. The government is also gradually easing restrictions on COVID-19. After three years, we decided to set up a dome, the symbol of JEONJU IFF, to hold major events." However, they’re also planning the preparation for quarantine measures for COVID-19 thoroughly. It plans to create a cooperative system between the film festival, Jeonju City, the health authorities, and the medical community to respond quickly if problems arise. At the 23rd JEONJU IFF, 217 films from 56 countries have been invited. Among them, 61 films are for the World Premiere, while 4 films are for the International Premiere. About 60 guests from overseas will attend the festival. 

Also, Director Yeon Sangho was selected for this year's ‘J Special: Programmer of the Year.’ This section was newly established last year in 2021, and actors or directors directly select films to be screened at the festival and meet the audience. Director Yeon Sangho attended the press conference and introduced the special section, including two of his films. The films Director Yeon selected as a special programmer are David Lynch's Blue Velvet, Kurosawa Kiyoshi's Cure, and Katayama Shinjo's Missing. Also, Director Yeon selected his animation The King of Pigs, which marks the 11th anniversary of its release this year, and the film Train to Busan, which reached his first 10-million-viewer-mark.

Meanwhile, the opening film of JEONJU IFF is After Yang, directed by Kogonada, the director invited to the Un Certain Regard at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. Director Kogonada is a Korean American who also directed Pachinko of Apple TV Plus. The closing film is Eric Gravel's second feature film Fill Time. JEONJU IFF will be held for 10 days from April 28 to May 7.