CHUNGCHEONGBUK-DO < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(JECHEON=Yonhap News) South Korea's largest annual international festival of music films opened in this central city of Jecheon on Thursday night featuring 105 titles from 36 countries, the largest number ever in the festival's history.

Actress Kang Hye-jeong and pianist-composer Yoon Han led the opening ceremony of the 12th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (JIMFF) at the Cheongpung Lakeside Stage in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province.

Some 5,000 movie fans, film industry figures and local officials showed up for the ceremony although nighttime temperatures remained over 33 C due to the nationwide heat wave.

"The Violin Teacher" by Brazilian director Sergio Machado was the festival's opening film. The movie is about a violinist forced to teach music in a public school in the biggest and the most violent slum of Sao Paulo, Brazil, after failing an audition to become a member of Latin America's most famous orchestra. While teaching, the violinist starts to regain his joy of playing and build a relationship with his students.

Eight films were nominated for the festival's only international competition section, "World Music Film Today," which introduces the latest films across all genres where music plays a central role. The eight include the Israeli, German and American-co-produced film "Junction 48"; "Things That I Learn from You," directed by and starring actor Yu Jun-sang; and the Japanese movie "Mother I've Pretty Much Forgotten Your Face."

A jury of five international members will select the winners of the Grand Award and the Special Jury Award, which are accompanied by $10,000 and $5,000 prizes, respectively.

The JIMFF also has a two-part outdoor music program where visitors can enjoy live music in addition to the music onscreen.

The first is the three-night "One Summer Night" program, which has a set of musical performances following a film screening at the Cheongpung Lakeside Stage. The three nights are themed "Vivid Night" on Friday, "Groove Night" on Saturday and "Breeze Night" on Sunday. They will have Guckkasten, Epik High, 10 cm and Junggigo as headliners, among others.

On the Uirimji Stage, there will be the "Uirim Summer Night" composed of four concerts featuring female musicians, genre music and songs of late Korean singer-songwriter Kim Kwang-suk.

The festival will close Tuesday, wrapping up its six-day run.

sshim@yna.co.kr

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