Themed film festivals in May

The mild weather in May makes it a great month to get out and enjoy Seoul’s vibrant cultural scene. This year, that culture comes with a dash of awareness about the world around us at three film festivals themed around social issues such as the environment, animals and gender equality.

First up is the Green Film Festival in Seoul, which kicked off its 12th year on May 7. The festival was established by environmental activist Choi Yul and is now hosted by the Korea Green Foundation.

This year, the festival began with the film “Rio, I Love You,” an omnibus film created by 11 directors from around the world including Korean director Im Sang-soo. Over the next week, the GFFiS will screen 113 movies from 47 countries, with 19 films being judged for a competition.

Special sections of the weeklong event will be dedicated to Latin America, community movements and agriculture, and the screenings will take place alongside various exhibitions and outdoor experience programs to raise awareness about environmental issues. The festival runs through May 14 at Cinecube, Indiespace, the Seoul Museum of History and Baseurak Hall at Citizens Hall in Seoul. 

The environmental theme overlaps slightly for the 3rd Animal Film Festival in Suncheon, which will run from May 22-28, in South Jeolla Province. “This is a film festival that allows people to enjoy themselves outdoors with their pets and family,” said Kim Min-ki, the festival director, at a press conference on April 29. “We’ve prepared many fun and heartwarming elements for this year’s festival.”

The ANFFiS, which will open with the animated film “You are Umasou ― Happy to be with You,” will present about 50 films from 24 different countries. Sections will include the “Sound of Nature” with works that highlight the lesser-seen aspects of nature, and “Close Up,” featuring films about the coexistence of man with nature.

The festival has even paid special attention to making accommodation accessible to visitors who bring their pets to the event, partnering with train networks and hotels so festival-goers can enjoy the event with their pets.

As the ANFFiS comes to a close, the 17th Seoul International Women’s Film festival will kick off on May 27 with Sanna Lenken’s “My Skinny Sister,” running through June 3 at Megabox Sinchon and Arthouse Momo on the Ewha Womans University campus.

“People usually think that women’s film festivals are difficult and pedantic,” said chief programmer Kim Sun-ah at a press conference on May 6. “But this year, we’ve chosen films to make it more accessible for the general public.”

The festival, which will offer a pitching session and various discussion sessions in addition to the screenings, will show 111 films, 82 of which will be making a Korean, Asian, or world premiere. Special sections will also highlight Swedish cinema’s relative gender equality and gender minorities.

To appeal to a wider audience, the SIWFF has also set up a “Happy Hour” for male visitors with special events, and appointed a model celebrity as spokesperson for the first time in its 19-year history. Actress Kim A-joong, best known for her role in the 2006 movie “200 Pounds Beauty,” became the first “Feminista” to promote the festival.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)