DMZ International Documentary Film Festival Opens on the 14th... 148 Films from 54 Countries to be Screened

The opening film "The Eternal Memory," which depicts the journey of a journalist who documented the fervor of Chile's democratization movement and is now battling Alzheimer's disease.

The 15th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival opened on the 14th at the Paju Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Grand Theater, beginning an eight-day journey.

About 1,500 people attended the opening ceremony, including Executive Director Jang Haerang, opening film lead actress Paulina Urrutia, actors Moon Sung-geun, Bang Eun-jin, Lim Ji-gyu, and local audiences. The DMZ International Documentary Film Festival

this year specially invited three generations of the family of Korean War veteran Kim Byung-hwan (93, resident of Paju) in line with the festival slogan, "Sensing Today Connecting Yesterday and Tomorrow," commemorating the 70th anniversary of the armistice.

Kim Byung-hwan was recognized for his service in the Battle of Nakdong River and the Incheon Landing Operation in 1950 and was awarded a Medal of Honor for his valor.

The opening ceremony was hosted by actress and film director Chu Sang-mi. Following the opening performance by the disabled artists' troupe "Wonderful Choir," a congratulatory performance by Jeong Tae-chun, a legend of Korean folk music, was held.

The opening ceremony was also broadcast live online on the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (DMZ Docs) YouTube channel and Gyeonggi Province's social broadcasting "LIVE Gyeonggi" for audiences who could not attend in person.

Starting with the opening ceremony, the festival will run from the 15th to the 21st at a total of 11 screening venues in CGV Goyang Baekseok and Megabox Baekseok Bellacitta, showcasing 148 domestic and international latest documentary works from 54 countries.

The opening film is "The Eternal Memory," which documents the journey of a journalist who recorded the fervor of Chile's democratization movement while battling Alzheimer's disease. Among the screenings, 96 films can also be viewed on the documentary-specialized online streaming site "VoDA."

This year, awards will be given to eight works across four categories. Unlike previous years, the program sections have been reorganized to separate the competition into International Competition, Frontier Competition, and Korean Competition.

The non-competition sections are classified into Verite, Docufiction, Essay, Expanded, and Special Programs. Among the works screened in the Expanded section, seven films will be available as a "Non-Theatrical Program" at Camp Greaves, located within the Civilian Control Line, from the 14th to the 20th.

During the festival, "Docs On Stage," combining film screenings and performances, will be held on September 16 and 17 at the outdoor special stage of the Goyang Flower Exhibition Hall. In the CGV Goyang Baekseok lobby, piano performances under the theme "Piano, Crossing Boundaries" will be held twice daily (1 PM and 6 PM) from September 15 to 21.

On September 15, the DMZ Docs Documentary Market will open during the festival, featuring "DMZ Docs Pitch," which introduces documentary projects currently in production to industry professionals, a business matching program, and a showcase of the DMZ Docs Fund "Korean POV 2023."

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