By Joung Haseung

Photos and video = Jeonju International Film Festival

The 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival kicked off on April 29. 

The festival's organizing committee held a red-carpet event at 6:20 p.m. at Moak Hall of the Sori Arts Center in the Deokjin-gu District of Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province. 

The ceremony had no audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and only festival personnel were allowed to attend in person. Actors Kwon Hae-hyo and Park Hye-sun officiated the ceremony and director Park Heung-sik and actors Bae Jong-wook and Choi Soo-young served as judges. 

“Father," the fourth film by Serbian director Srdan Golubovie, was this year's opening film. The plot centers on a day laborer in a remote village who travels to the Serbian capital of Belgrade to find his children, who have been taken by social workers.  

The special sections include "Special Focus: I Am Independent," "Special Focus: Corona, New Normal" and "J Special: Programmer of the Year." 

The festival will run until May 8 on Jeonju Film Street in the city's Wansan-gu District. 

A combined 194 films – 120 features and 74 shorts – from 48 countries will be shown at four theaters in Jeonju on 17 screens. Among the works, 142 will be shown on the online media platform Waave.

More information on the festival is available on its official website (https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/Default.asp?).

The Jeonju International Film Festival will screen a combined 194 films through May 8. 

jhaseung@korea.kr