By Lee Jihae

The 20th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) opened on May 2 in the western city of Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province, with 262 indie and arthouse movies from 52 countries to be screened through May 11.

The opening film was "Piranhas," a 2018 movie by Italian director Claudio Giovannesi based on the novel of the same name about teenage boys who get involved in narcotics.

The JIFF Organizing Committee said of the film, "By applying the dark and light of a noir film, the film describes the growth of adolescent boys and the city of Naples."

Another feature of the festival is "La Flor" (2018), which has a running time exceeding 13 hours. And the showing of the 2018 Korean short films "Ghost" and "Horomaru" and the 2019 American short film "Send Me Home" will utilize virtual reality as the screens unfold 360 degrees.

For Star Wars fans, eight films from the famed sci-fi franchise will be screened on May 4, the day celebrated around the world as "Star Wars Day." A musical performance, Legos event and other exhibitions will also commemorate the occasion.

The festival will close with "Skin," a 2018 work by Israeli director Guy Nattiv. Based on a real-life story, the film is about a former white supremacist once consumed by racism and hatred but who changes after meeting a black human rights activist. Jamie Bell, who played Edgar in the 2013 Korean film "Snowpiercer," takes on the lead role in "Skin." 

For more information, please check the festival's homepage below:
http://jiff.or.kr (English and Korean)

jihlee08@korea.kr