- Jeonju Cinema Project 2018 Unveils 5 Titles Including 2 International Films

- Jeonju IFF Launches ‘JCP:NEXT EDITION’, Call for Jeonju Cinema Project 2019

Jeonju International Film Festival(hereinafter referred to as Jeonju IFF) announced 5 feature films selected as Jeonju Cinema Project 2018(hereinafter referred to as JCP 2018). Jeonju IFF Executive Committee announced, "JCP 2018, which will be premiered at 19th Jeonju IFF, are following 5 feature films; THE PLAY(working title, Alejandro FERNANDEZ ALMENDRAS), NONA. If You Soak Me, I Will Burn You(Camila Jose DONOSO), A Good Business(LEE Hark Joon), THE WINTER NIGHT(working title, JANG Woo-jin), The Land on the Waves(working title, LIM Taegue).”

JCP is a feature film production program of Jeonju IFF. JCP is not only core program of Jeonju IFF, but also extension of Jeonju IFF’s festival spirit and alternative filmmaking experiment. Since 2014, JCP has domestically and internationally supported independent filmmakers.

JCP 2018 celebrating its fifth edition unveils 5 films this year, which had previously shown 3 films each year. Under the aim of greater scalability, JCP selected two international films in consideration of the project’s worldwide contribution.

KIM Young-jin, the chief programmer of Jeonju IFF, mentioned about the selection of JCP 2018 as "Last year, Our President(Project N)(LEE Chang-jae, 2017) succeeded both critically and popularly. The First Lap(KIM Dae-hwan, 2017) received Best Emerging Director Award at Locarno International Film Festival and The Poet and The Boy(KIM Yang-hee, 2017) was invited to Discovery section at Toronto International Film Festival. These outstanding performances were a milestone for the challenge this year. It is also significant that JCP 2018 projects are new works by film directors who achieved remarkable accomplishments through Jeonju IFF. The past, present and future of Jeonju IFF may illuminate through the solidarity with these young directors."

Alejandro FERNANDEZ ALMENDRAS, director of THE PLAY, was born in 1971, Chile. Since 2002 he directed several awarded short films. His debut feature HUACHO(2009) premiered at Critics´ Week in Cannes and his second film By the Fire(2011) premiered at San Sebastian International Film Festival. To Kill a Man(2013) won World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at Sundance Film Festival and nominated as a representative of Chile at the Academy and Goya Awards. His latest film Much Ado About Nothing(2016) premiered at San Sebastian IFF and Sundance Film Festival. All of his feature films premiered at Jeonju IFF including HUACHO invited to International Competition. THE PLAY is a dramedy based on the daily life of a young theatre director who wants to put on a new play in a small Czech town. The film asks a question whether is it possible to save his work and his family even in the midst of a collapse. The film asks a question whether the best life is possible even in the midst of a collapse.

Camila Jose DONOSO, director of NONA. If You Soak Me, I Will Burn You, was born in 1988, Chile. Her first feature film Naomi Campbell(2013), co-directed with Nicolas Videla, was selected in FICValdivia and CPH:DOX and received the Prize for the Best Documentary Direction at Cinema Tropical. Her second feature film Casa Roshell(2017) premiered at Forum in Berlinale and was invited to International Competition at Jeonju IFF. NONA. If You Soak Me, I Will Burn You is a story about 66 years old Nona, who self-exiled herself in a small coastal town in Chile called ‘Pichilemu’ after taking revenge on her lover. Camila Jose DONOSO expressed her intention as “There is no more radical exercise than talking about ourselves, women filming women, housewives who are not victims, but are militant, guerrilla fighters, who break with all convention. Nona is that, a syncretism of radical forces that come together.”

A Good Business is a documentary that can dissolve the life of North Korean human rights activist. As well as the unrevealed relationship between North Korean defectors and brokers, the concentrated coverage about the North Korean defectors´ life risking escape gives unparalleled tension. LEE Hark Joon, who spent 5 years only for this film, started his career as a journalist. Reporting issues of refugees from North Korea since 2007, he directed television documentary series 「Crossing Heaven’s Border」 and won 13 press awards including Golden Nympth at Monte-Carlo Television Festival. His first feature documentary 9 Muses of Star Empire(2012) premiered at IDFA Competition for Music Documentary in International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. He explained his intention as “What is the difference between human rights activists, brokers, and journalists who are creating so-called North Korean dramas? Over the past five years, I´ve tried to figure out this problem, either by placing brokers in the cameras or accompanying with human rights activists. The answer I´ve got is this film, A Good Business.”

JANG Woo-jin was born in 1985, South Korea. His first feature film A Fresh Start(2014) won the Grand Prize in Korean Competition at Jeonju IFF. His second feature film Autumn, Autumn(2017) won Vision-Director´s Award at Busan IFF. THE WINTER NIGHT is his third feature film. His previous works were favorably reviewed at Locarno IFF, Berlinale and New York Film Festival that he has strength in capturing space and time with a flexible long take style. THE WINTER NIGHT is about a journey of middle-aged couple who visit Cheongpyeongsa for the first time since they had their first relationship 30 years ago. Through this simple story, JANG Woo-jin said “I want to talk about how the past, future and present are related to each other.”

LIM Taegue won the Grand Prize in Korean Competition at Jeonju IFF with his first feature film The Seeds of Violence(2017). The film was nominated in New Directors Competition of San Sebastian Film Festival and was invited to special program; Korea, Guest Country of Honor at Mar Del Plata International Film Festival. His new project The Land on the Waves is a story of reconciliation between a middle age man and his family. This road movie style film captures the hardships of three generations and their unyielding vigor. LIM Taegue said, "I wanted to talk about the Korean history concealed for so long and the problem of the relationship that was put back for past three generations. I want to show the pain and restoration rolling as waves under Korean society."

JCP 2018 was selected by Jeonju IFF Executive Committee through a rigorous evaluation among 80 Korean projects and 30 international projects. 5 films will be world premiered at 19th Jeonju IFF, which is held from May 3 to 12, 2018.

Furthermore, as an extension to improve the international contribution of the project, Jeonju IFF launched ‘JCP: NEXT EDITION’, starting at 10th Jeonju Project Market. After pre-selection based on the submitted documentations, pre-selected participants will attend the pitch during the festival. The final selection of ‘JCP: NEXT EDITION’ would be announced at Jeonju Project Market (JPM) awards. By establishing a formal call system, Jeonju IFF would expand the scale to support auteurs in various spectra world widely. Regarding detailed information for the application, please visit our website (http://eng.jiff.or.kr/) or contact via email. (jcp@jiff.or.kr)