Gwangju International Film Festival is an international film festival that takes place in Gwangju, South Korea. The festival was first held from 12/7/2001 to 12/14/2001 at Gwangju Cinema, Mudeung Theater, Jaeil Cinema, and Cine City. The festival was held annually in various venues within the city until it was indefinitely postponed in 2016. It was originally a non-competitive film festival and it was partially converted into a competitive film festival in 2002. The main focus of the festival is to introduce movies that are critically acclaimed but have not been introduced to South Korea and to lay a cultural groundwork by grafting the cultural heritage of Jeollanam-Do together with movie as a new cultural code. It also intends to bring awareness to important historical events such as Gwangju Uprising through films.
From 2001 to 2015, the festival has experienced multiple issues including lack of audiences, technological issues regarding the sound system, and movies being cancelled. The festival was eventually indefinitely postponed in 2016 when an internal conflict within the organizing committee occurred between the chairman and the executive director. The conflict occurred in regards to the settlement of revenue from previous year's film festival and this has threatened the funding of the festival, which caused the festival to be indefinitely postponed 2 months prior to the opening. 500 films from 25 countries in Europe and Asia were received by the organizing committee before it was postponed. Currently, as of 2023, the festival remains postponed.
History
1st Gwangju International Film Festival, 2001.12.7 ~ 2001.12.14
Films screened: 140 films from 26 countries Opening Film: L'Emploi du temps, Laurent Cantet, France Closing Film: This is Law, Byeongjin Min, South Korea
2nd Gwangju International Film Festival, 2002.10.25 ~ 2002.10.31
Films screened: 203 films from 30 countries Opening Film: Unborn but Forgotten, Im Chang-jae, South Korea Closing Film: Welcome to Collinwood, Anthony and Joe Russo, US
3rd Gwangju International Film Festival, 2003.8.22 ~ 2003.8.31
Films screened: 212 films from 31 countries Opening Film: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring Closing Film: That Day
4th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2004.9.2 ~ 2004.9.11
Films screened: 120 films from 23 countries Opening Film: Loved Gun Closing Film: Road
5th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2005.08.26 ~ 2005.09.04
Films screened: 180 films from 33 countries Opening Film: Hands In The Hair Closing Film: A Stranger Of Mine
6th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2006.12.14 ~ 2006.12.18
Films screened: 49 films from 13 countries Opening Film: A Long Walk Closing Film: Junebug
7th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2007.11.28 ~ 2007.12.3
Films screened: 40 films Opening Film: Western Trunk Line Closing Film: Los Borgia
8th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2008.12.4 ~ 2008.12.8
Films screened: 40 films Opening Film: Thick As Thieves Closing Film: Vitus
9th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2009.09.16 ~ 2009.09.20
Films screened: 50 films from 10 countries Opening Film: Penguins In The Sky - Asahiyama Zoo Closing Film: The Piano Forest
10th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2010.12.09 ~ 2010.12.12
Films screened: 40 films Opening Film: O' Horten Closing Film: Chef's Special
11th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2011.10.27 ~ 2011.10.31
Films screened: 60 films Opening Film: People Mountain People Sea Closing Film: Offside
12th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2012.11.08 ~ 2012.11.12
Films screened: 60 films Opening Film: Leona Calderon Closing Film: Aung San Suu Kyi, lady of no fear
13th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2013.08.29 ~ 2013.09.02
Films screened: 91 films from 24 countries Opening Film: Sweet Heart Chocolate Closing Film: Stable Life
14th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2014.08.28 ~ 2014.09.01
Films screened: 92 films from 25 countries Opening Film: Late Spring Closing Film: WEST
15th Gwangju International Film Festival, 2015.05.14 ~ 2015.05.18
Films screened: 103 films from 31 countries Opening Film: Test Closing Film: Flying Home
Awards Kim Daejung Nobel Peace Film Award No.YearName12011Jafar Panahi22012Chung Ji-Young32013Đặng Nhật Minh42014Kim Dong-Won Excellent Asia-Pacific Young Director Award No.YearName1st Place2015Children's Show2nd Place2015My Mandala3rd Place2015Morning Boy! Audience Award No.YearName12004Hou Yong22005Davide Ferrario
See also List of festivals in South Korea List of festivals in Asia Culture of South Korea References
External links Gwangju International Film Festival