○ Opening ceremony held at 7:00 pm on September 20 in Hall 6B, KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2, Goyang City
– 152 documentary films from 46 countries
○ Ceremony hosted by Bae Soo-bin and Ryoo Si-hyun
○ Opening film Let’s Peace (directed by Park So-hyun) to be screened during the ceremony
○ Discussions with Made in China director Kim Ji-yeong and host Kim Eo-jun planned at 8:30 pm on September 22

The 11th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival embarks on its eight-day journey on September 20 at Hall 6B of the KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2, Goyang City.

Starting with the opening ceremony and running until September 27, the festival features 152 documentaries from 46 countries.

The opening ceremony is hosted by film actor Bae Soo-bin, who was the honorary ambassador of the 3rd DMZ International Documentary, and TV personality Ryoo Si-hyeon.

Special guests participating in the ceremony include nine members of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly including Kim Dal-su, chairman of the Culture and Sports Tourism Committee; and nine judges of the film festival including Kim Dong-ho, honorary chairman of the Busan International Film Festival; Oh Seok-geun, chairman of the Korean Film Council; film actors Moon Sung-keun and Bang Eun-jin; film director Chung Ji-young; Lee Chun-yeon, president of the Korean Film Makers’ Association; Sri Lankan film director Vimukthi Jayasundara; and Anke Leweke, curator of the Berlin International Film Festival.

Also attending the opening ceremony are 50 film directors, film industry representatives, invited guests, and approximately 1,000 audience members from Korea and abroad.

The ceremony features performances by Contempo-Divo, a five-member classical ensemble, and rapper Mighty, who will present new interpretations of the Korean songs “Nostalgy for Geumgangsan Mountain” and “Raguyo” arranged for a collaboration of classical vocals and beatboxing, as well as a special musical performance by 20 young people who starred in director Park So-hyun’s documentary film Let’s Peace, which is the opening film.

Congratulatory performances are followed by the screening of the opening film Let’s Peace, which focuses on peace as dreamt of by youths of Korea, a country under armistice, in a light and cheerful style. The film is based on the cinematic depiction of a train journey from Mokpo, a southern city of Korea, to Berlin.

In this documentary, the young people organize a volunteer group called “Let’s Peace,” meaning “Let’s make peace here and now.” The youths talk about peace from their own perspectives while celebrating peace through the universal languages of song and dance, stopping at every station along their journey.

Various programs are slated including the screening of Korean documentaries and exhibitions to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema

The DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, where people from around the world can see documentary films about the DMZ in the world’s only divided country, has established itself as an international film festival that represents the value of peace, communication, and life since its launch in 2009.

Mark its 11th anniversary this year, the festival is attracting attention with an even wider variety of films than in previous years. Of particular note, works submitted to the “DMZ Open Cinema” present the latest documentaries recognized at various international film festivals as well as exceptional Korean documentaries and are drawing keen attention.

The program “DMZ POV: Meet Documentaries” takes place under the theme of “The Landscape of Asian Documentaries: 50 Perspectives of Korean Documentaries” in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema, screening 10 among 55 Korean documentaries selected by journalists and critics.

Newly Established Program “DMZ Industry,” a Documentary Industry Platform for Audience Experience

The documentary industry platform “DMZ Industry,” which was newly established this year, runs for four days from September 23 to 26 (Monday to Thursday) in Jijihyang, Paju City.

Reflecting the intense interest of documentary producers and stakeholders in “DMZ Industry” – which covers the whole documentary-making process from planning, development, production, and investment attraction to post production and distribution – many works were submitted on various themes, such as history, women, inter-Korean relations, family and historical events as well as new perspectives, among which a total of 40 films were selected.

The selected works are expected to find business opportunities through close exchanges with major domestic and foreign film industry representatives who will attend the program.

Talk with viewers: “Todak Todak” for Communication between Directors and Viewers and Outdoor Documentary Screenings

Following the opening ceremony and running for eight days until September 27 (Friday), various special programs and concurrent events take place at major theaters including Mega Box Baekseok, Bella Citta Goyang, and Lotte Cinema in Lotte Outlet Paju.

Of particular note this year, special programs take place to help audience members get closer to and better enjoy documentaries.

“DMZ Todak Todak,” launched this year, is a program through which directors and viewers can directly communicate with each other after screenings, thereby inducing the more active participation of viewers during the festival.

The screening of Mallory by world-renowned documentary film director Helena Třeštíková takes place at 11:00 am on September 21 (Saturday), followed by a discussion between the director and viewers.

This event will give documentary fans a unique opportunity to talk with the director, who is visiting the DMZ for the special screening, about her films and working process.

At 8:30 pm on September 22 (Sunday), Midge Costin, who has worked as a sound editor for Hollywood blockbuster films well known to Korean movie fans – including The Rock, Broken Arrow, and Armageddon – meets viewers and shares his exciting experiences after the screening of The Art of Cinematic Sound at 11:00 am that day.

At the same time, the premier of Made in China will take place with director Kim Ji-young and Kim Eo-jun, host of the TBS radio program “News Factory,” interacting with viewers after the screening.

There are also free screenings of documentaries at Bella Citta Goyang’s outdoor lawn plaza from September 21 to 26 (Saturday to Friday).

“Night of Bangladesh Cinema” to be Held

The Night of Bangladesh Cinema event takes place at 8:00 pm on September 21 (Saturday) to celebrate the screening of the documentary Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale, a work that sheds light on the life of Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the first president of Bangladesh and the incumbent prime minister of the country.

Leading Bangladeshi figures including Nasrul Hamid Bipu, a former Minister of Electrical Energy and Resources of Bangladesh who now serves as an honorary minister, and Bangladesh Ambassador to Korea Abida Islam will attend the event.

Festival Closing Ceremony on September 27

At the closing ceremony held at Megabox in Bella Citta, Goyang City, on September 27 (Friday) at 7:00 pm, awards in a total of 16 categories including the Grand Award (White Goose Award), the ADF Culture Award (3 works), and the DMZ Art Contribution Award (newly established this year) will be presented, marking the grand finale of the festival.

The opening ceremony of the festival was originally slated for a special stage in the Mangbaedan Parking Area of the Imjigak Pavilion, Paju City, but the venue was changed to KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2, Goyang City, in order to prevent the possible spread of African swine fever (ASF) via human vectors. During the opening ceremony, disease prevention of international caliber will be in effect.

In addition, the DMZ Docu Road Tour and Fam Tour, which were scheduled to be held near the Imjingak Pavilion, Dora Observatory, and the Third Tunnel of Aggression in Paju City from September 20 to 21 as part of concurrent events, have been canceled. The scale of the DMZ Open Cinema has also been reduced to take place only within Goyang City.