Official press conference for the festival held on September 24, appointing actor Kim Jae-won and actress Jo Yoon-hee as honorary ambassadors

◇ On September 24, Gyeonggi Province held the official press conference for the 5th DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival (DMZ Docs) and appointed actor Kim Jae-won and actress Jo Yoon-hee as honorary ambassadors. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Je-hoon

Gyeonggi Province held the official press conference for the 5th DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival (DMZ Docs) to take place in October, and appointed actor Kim Jae-won and actress Jo Yoon-hee as honorary ambassadors.

The press conference took place on September 24 at Art Nine in Sadang-dong, Seoul, attended by over 100 participants including Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, executive committee chairman Jo Jae-hyeon, programmer Maeng Soo-jin, director Park Chan-kyong, and major journalists in Korea. Actor Lee Han-wi presided over the conference.

Prior to the press conference, the trailer for the 5th DMZ Docs designed and produced by executive committee chairman Jo was displayed. It was about the daily life of an old man collecting wastepaper, and showed an impressive interview with the old man breaking down in tears as he talked about his wife who is a displaced person. It was followed by a congratulatory video, opening film, and an introduction of the overall programs.

A Korean film “Manshin” was selected as the world premiere for the opening film of this DMZ Docs. This piece is by Park Chan-kyong, famous for “Night Fishing” as well as for being the younger brother of director Park Chan-wook. This film is about the life of female shaman Kim Keum-hwa born in Hwanghae Province, featuring actresses Moon So-ri and Kim Sae-ron through talent donation and receiving reviews that it has expanded participation in documentaries.

The 5th DMZ Docs, which will be held for 7 days from October 17 to 23, will take place in a different region, Goyang, starting this year. The DMZ Docs has begun in 2009 with 66 films from 31 nations, but this year the size has doubled with the participation of 119 films from 38 nations, further solidifying its position as Asia’s representative film festival.

The opening ceremony will take place in Camp Greaves near Imjingak. Thus, Gyeonggi Province is expecting this to have a great impact on publicizing thi DMZ Docs such as the symbolism of the festival’s vision of ‘DMZ of Peace, Life and Communication,’ along with the significance of the 60th anniversary of truce.

◇ The 5th DMZ Docs trailer video. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Je-hoon

◇ Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo attended the press conference and is making an acknowledgement as the organizing committee chairman of the festival. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Je-hoon

This festival not only featured a Korean piece as the opening film but also provided various grounds for the festival to grow into Asia’s representative film festival, such as changing the programs, building Asian documentary networks, establishing a DMZ documentary project market, and supporting Korean documentaries.

Along with the DMZ Docs, Gyeonggi Province will extensively increase the support fund to develop documentary production in Korea, and invite and display works of overseas documentary directors such as Japan and Philippines starting next year.

“With this film festival, I hope film art acts as a catalyst for us to have the opportunity for our desire of unification, peace, reconciliation and coexistence other than the aspect of film art and documentary itself,” said Governor Kim Moon-soo. “I also hope this serves as a meeting place in which South and North Korea can meet and share a bond for peace and better future of the Korean Peninsula.”

He also added, “DMZ has infinite subject matters. I hope there are at least a couple of Korean DMZ documentaries worthy of name every year, which arouse worldwide sympathy. If necessary, I will spare no cost in supporting the production such as military cooperation and documentary support funds.”

“This year, the festival was moved to Ilsan and the opening ceremony took place in a meaningful space with the general public at the U.S. military camp Greaves,” said executive committee chairman Jo Jae-hyeon. “I sincerely request your interest and participation.”

Actor Kim Jae-won and actress Jo Yoon-hee, appointed as honorary ambassadors this day, met Jo at the drama ‘Scandal’ and now the three of them are joining forces to publicize the DMZ Docs.

“We learned a great deal about documentary films thanks to this occasion,” they said. “We will make efforts for the genre of documentary to be more familiar to the general public. We ask for your love and support.”

Starting with the opening ceremony on the 17th at Camp Greaves, the 5th DMZ Docs will take place in Lotte Cinema La Festa.

This festival is co-hosted by Gyeonggi Province, Goyang, Paju and the organizing committee of the DMZ Docs, and co-supervised by the Gyeonggi Content Agency, Gyeonggi Film Commission, and the executive committee of the DMZ Docs. It will implement partial competition and be held as a non-competition film festival.

◇ “DMZ has infinite subject matters. I hope there are at least a couple of Korean DMZ documentaries worthy of name every year, which arouse worldwide sympathy. If necessary, I will spare no cost in supporting the production such as military cooperation and documentary support funds,” said Governor Kim in the press conference. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Je-hoon

◇ Governor Kim Moon-soo, chairman Jo and the honorary ambassadors are taking a commemorative photograph in the press conference. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Je-hoon

ⓒGyeonggi G-News | Lim Se-jin yh48635@nate.com

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201309241721317055C049&s_code=C049