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9^th Women’s Film Festival Takes Seoul

Along with the start of warmer weather and brighter faces, a sure sign of spring is the annual Women’s Film Festival in Seoul (WFFIS), bringing female voices and visions to the traditionally male-orientated industry.  Now in its 9^th edition, this year WFFIS will present around 100 films from 29 countries.  Running April 5 – 12 in the bustling university district of Sinchon, the event champions its slogan “See the world through women’s eyes!” with a variety of programs, musical events, and seminars.

The opening film will be Brazilian feature Antonia, directed by veteran filmmaker Tata Amaral.  The film portrays the friendship between four girls living in the suburbs of Sao Paulo.  The director will attend and participate in Q and A sessions with the audience.

This year’s retrospective spotlight will be on Hungarian director Marta Meszaros, who has made over 70 films in her 50-year career.  Five of her masterworks will be screened, including Diary of My Children, Adoption, and Fetus. 

The New Currents section will present world-renowned features including French director Alante Kavaite’s mystery Fissures and Canadian director Megan Martin’s comedy Ninth Street Chronicles.

A Korean documentary, We Are Railway Crew of KTX, will shed light on the ongoing controversy surrounding female workers who were unfairly dismissed from their jobs at the country’s high-speed train service.  Other sections include Queer Rainbow, Empire and Women, Youth Program: Girls on Film, the Asian Short Film and Video Competition and, Women Migrants: Invisible People which will feature the Korean documentary Borderless by LEE Min-sook.

Festival director LEE Hyae-kyoung expressed concern that Korean female filmmakers produced only a small number of films last year.  In her statement to the press she said, “In the 21st century, women's status has made much headway and perceptions of the roles of women in society have also improved, but many issues and problems concerning today's women still remain".  For more information on the festival visit the WFFIS website: http://www.wffis.or.kr/wffis2007/

Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)