SIWFF News
“Ambitious Attempts! Enthusiastic Participation!”
- SIWFF’s Online Press Conference to Launch 7-Day Journey
The 22nd Seoul International Women’s Film Festival (September 10-16, 2010, Festival director: PARK Kwangsoo) released its online press conference video and presented this year’s program through the festival’s official channels on NAVER TV and YouTube at 2 pm.
♦ Building a New Paradigm of Connecting People in the COVID-19 Era
The 22nd Seoul International Women’s Film Festival (SIWFF) will fulfill the role of social quarantine in culture and arts and adjust to the new normal.
Highlighting women filmmakers and their films, SIWFF has grown with the support and trust of the audience. In the press conference, the festival introduced its direction, sections, and program events for the 22nd edition.
Under the slogan “Mutual Gaze” amid coronavirus pandemic, the festival offers 102 films from 33 countries with various programs to recognize the significance of the audience who sustains women filmmakers and their activities at cinema and film festivals.
Festival director PARK says, “This year’s festival can be summarized as ‘ambitious attempts’ and ‘enthusiastic participation.’ Preparing for the festival during the pandemic, we refused to reduce our vision. Instead, we chose to find ways to fulfill the role of SIWFF and reach the audience. We decided to support more women filmmakers and showcase their films to audiences.” Joining the #SaveOurCinema campaign, the festival expands its venue to Indie space, an independent arthouse cinema in Seoul. Observing sanitation measures, the festival will preserve the experience of watching and talking about films in the public space. In particular, SIWFF will carry out social quarantine with culture and arts and find solutions for coexistence in the new future. SIWFF has renewed its commitment to deliver the significance of film festivals and beyond.
♦ 200 Million KRW Fund in Total! Building a Platform for Women Filmmakers in the COVID-19
– Opening film made by 50 teams of filmmakers, Pitch&Catch, and Film X Gender.
The 22nd SIWFF seeks to build a platform for supporting women filmmakers. Under the “Mutual Gaze: Women Filmmakers Support Project,” 50 teams of women filmmakers created each short video and combined them into the opening film. The festival presents various programs, including “Pitch&Catch,” which received a record number of entries—165 projects in total, “Film x Gender,” a short film production support project hosted by the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education (KIGEPE) and organized by SIWFF, and “Documentary Ock Rang Award,” a documentary production support program. Following the success of films such as The House of Hummingbird, Bluebeard, Coin Locker Girl, and An Ethics Lesson, two films from Pitch & Catch—Please don’t save me (Megabox Award, 2017) and An Old Lady (Megabox Grand Award, 2018) are to be released soon. The program is ready to discover this year’s hidden gem.
With its 200 million KWR fund, the SIWFF will provide financial support to women filmmakers through various sections, including Mutual Gaze: Women Filmmakers Support Project, Pitch & Catch, Film x Gender, Asian Shorts, and Discovery.
♦ New Programs and Special Programs
– Discovery, Linkage: Director x Critic, Ann Hui Retrospective, and Feminist Collective
New programs and special programs reveal the direction and characteristics of the 22nd SIWFF. “Discovery” is the competition section of the first or second feature film by domestic and foreign women filmmakers. By combining the existing Korean Competition and International Competition sections, the program provides 12 films with bold cinematic visions and beautiful narrative composition.
“Linkage: Director x Critic” is a section that examines seven films by contemporary Korean women filmmakers in the perspective of Korean film history. The films will be re-read in the sense of cultural history to strengthen film discourses. “Ann Hui Retrospective: Hong Kong, a City in Flux and Its Ordinary People” presents eight films by the director who has captured the fluid time and space in Hong Kong. “Feminist Collective” intends to explore the history of feminism movement and feminism film history. Notably, the section offers Women Make Film, an epic exploration of women filmmakers in the Five Part series. Produced by actress Tilda Swinton, the documentary shows 7,000 films by 183 women filmmakers.
♦ The Cradle of New Talents in SIWFF, Improved Programs
– Asian Shorts, New Currents, Polemics, Queer Rainbow, I-Teens, and Barrier Free Screening
Existing programs, including Asian Shorts, New Currents, Polemics, I-Teens, and Barrier Free Screening, will satisfy the five senses of the audience. “Asian Shorts” is an excellent gateway for domestic and Asian women filmmakers. Out of 594 films from 17 countries, 19 films will be screened. “New Currents,” one of the main programs, showcases 20 films by women filmmakers worldwide. This year’s SIWFF presents various films of theme and form, which show mature perspectives on women’s solidarity, the appropriation of genre involved with feminism perspective, and global issues from women’s perspectives. “Polemics” consists of film screening and forum on the most urgent feminist issue of the year. Under the theme of “Translating Testimony and Verbal Statements – Discussing History of Comfort Women-Related Movement,” the program presents films that extend various times and regions. It is also noteworthy that films in the “Queer Rainbow” section observes different situations for the lives of queer, and makes the archives of the history of queer. “I-Teens” section presents six films made by teenage filmmakers. Also, “Barrier Free Screening” section offers Approved for Adoption directed by YOON Jongbin with actor GONG Yoo’s commentary.
With its new attempt, the 22nd SIWFF will provide the simultaneous screening through local film and TV content service WAVVE. Seven talk programs in Linkage: Director x Critic and other program events such as Director vs. Director and Star Talk will be released through SIWFF’s official channels on NAVER TV and YouTube. More information is provided in the SIWFF website.
Introducing the direction, characteristics, programs, and events, the 22nd SIWFF announced its official program and plans. This year’s festival will be held at MEGABOX Sangam Worldcup Branch and Indie space for seven days on September 10 (Thursday) – 16 (Wednesday), 2020.
