The 16th Jeonju International Film Festival unveils the 1st Chapter of “Special Focus”

- Feature a special program for director, ‘Martin Rejtman, the cineaste of black humor’

- Screening 6 films of mysterious author, Rejtman and hosting ‘Master Class’

The 16th Jeonju International Film Festival (Jeonju IFF) unveils the 1st chapter of “Special Focus” programs on Monday, March 16th. The first protagonist is a mysterious author and enigmatic director, Martin Rejtman who represents Argentine modern cinema.

Jeonju IFF has planned “Special Focus” program with the new theme about directors and works that are relatively-unknown in Korea. One of “Special Focus” programs this year is ‘Martin Rejtman, the cineaste of black humor’ and it would be the first chance to understand Argentine director Rejtman who is known for creative interpretation of genre, and unique style. There will be 6 films by Rejtman in that program, such as Rapado(1992), Silvia Prieto(1999), The Magic Gloves(2003), Copacabana(2006), Elementary Training for Actors(2009), and Two Shots Fired(2014).

Martin Rejtman is an auteur, and categorized as the member of ‘Nuevo Cine Argentina’ (‘New Argentine Cinema’), which has been blooming from 1990s. After graduating New York University, Rejtman stepped away from previous directors who focused on political issues, and brought genuine modernity to Argentine cinema. He drew much attention as his feature debut Rapado(1992) was invited to International Competition section of Locarno International Film Festival and awarded ‘Best First Film’ from Argentine Film Critics Association. Following Rapado, the bizarre comedy about a boy whose motorcycle, sneakers, and money were stolen, his creative comedy style was also presented in his subsequent films, Silvia Prieto, and The Magic Gloves.

It is said that Two Shots Fired, his recent film which showcased at the Locarno International Film Festival 2014, has reached the highest maturity using cinematic language. The movie shows irreversible, absurd situations with repetitive situations, mysterious incidents, and circulating characters. Among others for the special program are Elementary Training for Actors, which is about acting class for child actors from 8 to 12 years old, and Copacabana, the beautiful documentary about Bolivian community’s regional festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Rejtman is unfamiliar to Korean cinephiles, as 5 out of 6 films from ‘Martin Rejtman, the cineaste of black humor’ will be introduced to Korean audiences for the first time. Meanwhile, Rejtman also wrote numerous short stories as an author. Rapado was developed from one story among his collection of short stories, which was published in 1992. An author and director Rejtman’s movies are presenting combination of literature and cinema, and they are said to be deeply influenced by Hollywood screwball comedy in 1930~40s.

Martin Rejtman will visit Korea to attend ‘Master Class’ during the 16th Jeonju IFF. He is expected to tell vivid stories about his movies, which are mainly based on cynical humor, and satirical storytelling about the dark side of world. 6 films of ‘Martin Rejtman, the cineaste of black humor’ will be screened at the 16th Jeonju IFF, which will be held from Thursday, April 30th to Saturday, May 9th.