Jeonju film festival nears close with strong turnout

May 06, 2026, 11:19 am

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At the 27th Jeonju International Film Festival awards ceremony, top prizes were awarded to “A Slowly Fading Night” and “The Summer We Let Go.” / Jeonju International Film Festival

The Jeonju International Film Festival is heading toward a successful close, drawing strong audience interest and delivering one of its most vibrant editions in recent years.

According to organizers on May 6, seat occupancy exceeded 90% during the first five days of the festival, from April 29 to May 3, marking an increase of about 3 percentage points from the same period last year. With two days remaining before the closing ceremony on May 8, total attendance is already estimated to be close to last year’s figure of around 70,000.

Festival officials attributed the high turnout to the extended holiday period spanning Labor Day and Children’s Day, as well as favorable weather conditions that boosted participation in outdoor programs such as alley screenings in Jeonju’s Hanok Village.

This year’s festival features 237 films from 54 countries, up 13 titles from last year, alongside a range of side events that have helped attract audiences.

A special retrospective honoring the late Ahn Sung-ki, one of Korea’s most beloved actors, drew particular attention. Titled “Meeting a Slightly Different Ahn Sung-ki,” the program featured participation from fellow filmmakers who had worked with him.

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Park Hae-il (left) and Han Ye-ri pay tribute to the late Ahn Sung-ki during a post-screening talk for Film Era Love at CGV Jeonju Gosa on April 30. / Yonhap

Actor Park Hae-il, who starred alongside Ahn in films such as The Battle: Roar to Victory, recalled during a guest talk, “I truly loved his warm smile and the calm strength in his eyes. Just having him on set gave everyone confidence and energy.”

Meanwhile, Korean-American actress Greta Lee also drew attention during the festival. Visiting Jeonju as the lead of the opening film, she revealed plans to make her directorial debut with an adaptation of a novel by Korean-American writer Monica Kim.

The festival’s organizing committee held its awards ceremony on May 5, announcing winners across 19 categories. The top prizes went to directors Ezequiel Salinas and Ramiro Sonzini for A Slowly Fading Night in the international competition, and to director Lee Sun-yeon for The Summer We Let Go in the Korean competition.

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