Director Yeon Sang-ho Turns Programmer "Different Personalities, New Feel When Seen Together"

Participated as a Special Programmer at the Jeonju International Film Festival

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Director Yeon Sang-ho, who directed the film Train to Busan and the drama Hellbound, is lending his support to the recovery and revival of the Jeonju International Film Festival. Participating as a special programmer, he will engage with the audience through the 'J Special: Programmer of the Year' segment.

At a press conference held on the afternoon of the 31st of last month at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, announcing the 23rd Jeonju Film Festival and its lineup, Director Yeon said, "I programmed works that have influenced the genre films I am most interested in." These include David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986), Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure (1997), and Shinzo Katayama's The Vanished (2021). He also selected his own debut feature film The King of Pigs and his first live-action film Train to Busan.

Blue Velvet is a thriller about a pure young man witnessing a violent world and growing through the experience. It grotesquely unfolds the idea that the moments perceived as beautiful and peaceful are the most dangerous, and was considered a risky film in the mid-1980s, a time overflowing with optimism. Director Yeon said, "I have liked Lynch's films since I entered university," adding, "I recently rewatched it and found it very engaging."

Cure is a masterpiece of 1990s Japanese horror thrillers. It tells the story of a man who manipulates others' minds to commit murders and a detective who chases him, falling into a labyrinth. It obsessively explores how easily the world we know can collapse and how close death really is. Director Yeon has long admired Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who approaches existing genres with a critical attitude. He said, "It feels very contemporary, like recent films. It seems to have influenced me the most."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Vanished is a crime mystery about a father who disappears after reporting a serial killer to claim a reward, and his daughter who begins to search for both her father and the culprit. It expresses hidden aspects of humanity that cannot be divided simply into good and evil, using refined genre conventions. Director Yeon commented, "It is a recent release in Japan this year," and praised, "I firmly believe Director Katayama will become a new master of Asian cinema."

He said, "Although the three works each have distinct personalities, there are connecting points that offer a fresh experience when viewed together." Regarding his own two works, he introduced them as "films that marked significant turning points in my career." Executive Committee Chair Lee Joon-dong, who was present, said, "They delve obsessively into the dark sides of Korean society and build their own worlds, aligning well with the identity of the Jeonju Film Festival."

This year’s Jeonju Film Festival will be held for ten days from April 28 to May 7, throughout the Jeonju Film Street area. A total of 217 films from 56 countries (123 international and 94 domestic) will be screened at five theaters in Jeonju city. On the festival’s dedicated platform, 'Onfifn,' 112 films (69 international and 43 domestic) will be available for streaming. While emphasizing offline events, the festival also plans to run online screenings to communicate interactively with the audience. Chair Lee said, "This year marks the full recovery and revival of the Jeonju International Film Festival," adding, "The programmers have prepared the festival with great care, so please visit Jeonju and enjoy the films to your heart’s content."

The opening film is After Yang by director Kogonada, co-director of the Apple TV+ drama Pachinko, and the closing film is Full Time by director ?ric Gravel, who won the Best Director and Best Actress awards in the Orizzonti section at the Venice International Film Festival.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.