Online video streaming services have grown so rapidly that it seems almost impossible to list all the online platforms that emerged after the pandemic. In a way to cope with the shutdown of movie theaters, the mainstream film industry quickly turned to online platforms to find an audience. At first glance, this transition seems to suggest that the terrain of cinema has expanded. It seems especially so, in part because we can still talk about films that were just released last weekend, in the sense that they were released at virtual, as opposed to physical, movie theaters. Despite the changes, still, we talk about films that we just watched—what the title was, who starred in the film, and how we liked them, etc.
However, we have access to an unlimited number of films we only get to talk only about an extremely small number of films. As blockbuster movies become more robust and established, diversity in the film industry can be at risk. In particular, films that are not targeting a mass-market audience such as art films can ultimately disappear. It may lead us to lose a precious opportunity to vary the perspectives if we settle with the limited options given to us. We might feel it safe and easy to just choose an option from established genre boundaries. To secure diversity and support film projects that cannot be summed in a few words, JEONJU IFF will keep supporting films that challenge the mainstream. We will strive to support film projects that are never confined to any restrictions imposed by budget, conventions, system or power. Our mission is to support innovative and experimental films that lead us to a world of unbounded imagination.
This year, we wanted to focus on two aspects in this section. First, we introduce new films by two masters of experimental filmmaking. Heinz Emigholz takes us to different cities all over the world in The Last City and The Lobby. James Benning takes us to a private place and grandiose scenery during the pandemic. Second, we attempted to cross-regional boundaries to cope with the cross-border shutdown. By the films presented in this section, you will travel all around the world: from Argentina to Thailand and from Canada to Hong Kong. The section includes October Rumbles, a short film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul locked down at his house in Thailand during the pandemic, and Fauna, the latest film by Nicolas Pereda who mixes fact and fiction through cinematic performances about the typical image of Mexican films. John Gianvito’s new experimental film, Her Socialist Smile, portrays a new side of Helen Keller. Although she is known for overcoming her disabilities, Gianvito pays attention to Keller’s identity as a socialist and political activist, using texts and sounds that Keller used to learn a language. The film will give a chance for audiences to shed new light on the historical figure.
By doing so, we made a tradition of this section to introduce films that experiment with new languages of cinematic images. We also selected films talking about personal history, political history, and the history of cinema. We hope to present a process during which a new worldview is formed and circulated. Last but not least, we would like to mention that some titles were selected for the last edition of JEONJU IFF but we could not screen them because of logistic restrictions related to COVID-19, will be shown as a special program this year.
(Sung MOON)
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