See the World Through Women's Eyes
Published on | Source
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The world's largest women's film event kicks off Thursday, featuring over 100 films from 23 countries until April 16. The 11th edition of the International Women's Film Festival in Seoul (IWFFIS) invites people of all ages and gender orientations to reexamine the world through female perspectives.
"Half-Life" (U.S.A.) will open the festival Thursday evening at Artreon in Sinchon, northern Seoul. Recently featured at the Sundance Film Festival, it is about a sister and brother's reaction to their father's desertion and the presence of their mother's new, very young boyfriend. Asian American director Jennifer Phang will take part in the festival as a jury member in the competition section.
Moviegoers can also look forward to the world premiere of "The Time of Our Lives", which was made with funds from last year's Documentary Ock Rang Film Award. This film documents the 14-day election campaign of Choi Hyun-sook, the first openly lesbian candidate who ran for the National Assembly.
This year's event will be a special treat for those who were unable to travel to Berlin last month. Among the featured works is "Everyone Else" (Germany), which won both the Berlin Silver Bear and the Best Actress Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Also to be shown is "Treeless Mountain", by Korean American director Kim So-yong, which also won an award at the festival.
In the Open Cinema section, three male directors capture the subtle sensitivities of teenage schoolgirls. One of the three films, "The Cherry Road - Blossoming" (Japan), is recommended by the festival programmer for its depiction of youthful passion and innocence. More movies about young girls can be found in the Girls on Film: Girls on the Road section. One notable film is Rain (Bahamas), which was featured in the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. The director, Maria Govan, will visit Korea for the occasion.
At 11 p.m. Friday, a school uniform-themed party will take place on the ground floor of Artreon Theater. Anyone ― regardless of gender or age ― is welcome to attend and show off their school uniforms. The five young actresses of the fifth of the "Whispering Corridors" franchise, the ultimate Korean teen movie, will attend as special guests.
In addition to youth, the festival explores old age in the section appropriately titled On Aging. One recommended piece is a documentary called "Maverick Mother" (Australia). Sick of waiting for the perfect partner, a 39-year-old filmmaker decides to become a single mom through artificial insemination. While waiting for the procedure, however, she becomes impregnated after dating a Swiss man. The director, Janet Merewether, will visit Seoul with her son.
Other special guests visiting from afar include Alison Reid, a Hollywood stuntwoman who directed "The Baby Formula", which will be screened in the Queer Rainbow section. The festival programmer recommends this "funny, fake sci-fi documentary" about a lesbian couple that conceives their own biological child through groundbreaking scientific technology.
The festival also spotlights marginalized women. In addition to the film section Women's Labor and Poverty, a forum on the subject will take place April 14 at Ewha Womans University. Another section, Media Workshop for Women Migrants, features eight pieces by foreign women living in Korea.
The winners of the Asian Short Film & Video Competition will close the festival. This year, more than 200 films from 12 countries were submitted and 18 finalists will compete. Among the contenders is a piece directed by Song Fang, the actress who starred opposite Juliette Binoche in Hou Hsiau-hsien's "The Red Balloon". Organizers said judgment standards have slightly changed this year; judges will continue to seek works that feature a unique feminine perspective and subject matter but will also look for a demonstration of cinematic experimentation and aesthetic creativity.
A day care center will be open for mothers throughout the festival. Visit http://www.wffis.or.kr (Korean and English) or call (02) 583-3098~9 for more information.
Staff Reporter
The world's largest women's film event kicks off Thursday, featuring over 100 films from 23 countries until April 16. The 11th edition of the International Women's Film Festival in Seoul (IWFFIS) invites people of all ages and gender orientations to reexamine the world through female perspectives.
"Half-Life" (U.S.A.) will open the festival Thursday evening at Artreon in Sinchon, northern Seoul. Recently featured at the Sundance Film Festival, it is about a sister and brother's reaction to their father's desertion and the presence of their mother's new, very young boyfriend. Asian American director Jennifer Phang will take part in the festival as a jury member in the competition section.
Moviegoers can also look forward to the world premiere of "The Time of Our Lives", which was made with funds from last year's Documentary Ock Rang Film Award. This film documents the 14-day election campaign of Choi Hyun-sook, the first openly lesbian candidate who ran for the National Assembly.
This year's event will be a special treat for those who were unable to travel to Berlin last month. Among the featured works is "Everyone Else" (Germany), which won both the Berlin Silver Bear and the Best Actress Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Also to be shown is "Treeless Mountain", by Korean American director Kim So-yong, which also won an award at the festival.
In the Open Cinema section, three male directors capture the subtle sensitivities of teenage schoolgirls. One of the three films, "The Cherry Road - Blossoming" (Japan), is recommended by the festival programmer for its depiction of youthful passion and innocence. More movies about young girls can be found in the Girls on Film: Girls on the Road section. One notable film is Rain (Bahamas), which was featured in the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. The director, Maria Govan, will visit Korea for the occasion.
At 11 p.m. Friday, a school uniform-themed party will take place on the ground floor of Artreon Theater. Anyone ― regardless of gender or age ― is welcome to attend and show off their school uniforms. The five young actresses of the fifth of the "Whispering Corridors" franchise, the ultimate Korean teen movie, will attend as special guests.
In addition to youth, the festival explores old age in the section appropriately titled On Aging. One recommended piece is a documentary called "Maverick Mother" (Australia). Sick of waiting for the perfect partner, a 39-year-old filmmaker decides to become a single mom through artificial insemination. While waiting for the procedure, however, she becomes impregnated after dating a Swiss man. The director, Janet Merewether, will visit Seoul with her son.
Other special guests visiting from afar include Alison Reid, a Hollywood stuntwoman who directed "The Baby Formula", which will be screened in the Queer Rainbow section. The festival programmer recommends this "funny, fake sci-fi documentary" about a lesbian couple that conceives their own biological child through groundbreaking scientific technology.
The festival also spotlights marginalized women. In addition to the film section Women's Labor and Poverty, a forum on the subject will take place April 14 at Ewha Womans University. Another section, Media Workshop for Women Migrants, features eight pieces by foreign women living in Korea.
The winners of the Asian Short Film & Video Competition will close the festival. This year, more than 200 films from 12 countries were submitted and 18 finalists will compete. Among the contenders is a piece directed by Song Fang, the actress who starred opposite Juliette Binoche in Hou Hsiau-hsien's "The Red Balloon". Organizers said judgment standards have slightly changed this year; judges will continue to seek works that feature a unique feminine perspective and subject matter but will also look for a demonstration of cinematic experimentation and aesthetic creativity.
A day care center will be open for mothers throughout the festival. Visit http://www.wffis.or.kr (Korean and English) or call (02) 583-3098~9 for more information.
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