Jeonju film fest opens with Kent Jones' 'Late Fame,' honors Ahn Sung-ki

▲ Organizers of the Jeonju International Film Festival hold a press conference for the festival's 26th edition in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on March 31, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ A still from "Water Deer" is seen in this photo provided by the Jeonju International Film Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Actor Ahn Sung-ki is seen in this file photo taken in 2008. (Yonhap)

Jeonju film fest-lineup

Jeonju film fest opens with Kent Jones' 'Late Fame,' honors Ahn Sung-ki

JEONJU, South Korea, March 31 (Yonhap) -- American filmmaker Kent Jones' "Late Fame" has been chosen to open the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) this year, the country's premier platform for indie and art house cinema, organizers said Tuesday.

"Late Fame" had its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August last year. The film follows a poet whose quiet later life is upended when a group of young admirers rediscovers his work that has been long forgotten.

Throughout the festival, 237 movies will be screened across Jeonju, including 140 international titles, up by 13 from the previous year.

A total of 421 films from 70 nations have been submitted to JIFF'S international competition section, according to the organizers. Films directed by those with fewer than three feature films are eligible for submission.

In the Korean competition section, 10 films, including four documentaries, are running against each other. Among them are Ko Sung-hyun's "Living Through the Same Season," Choi Su-bin's "Early Spring" and Yoo So-young's "Water Deer." Organizers noted the strong showing of Korean documentaries this year, spanning a wide range of subjects and experimental cinematic approaches.

In addition, a special program pays tribute to the late actor Ahn Sung-ki, who passed away in December, by showcasing lesser-known works from his celebrated career. A separate section spotlights seven independent and arthouse films from Hong Kong, dating from the 1960s to the present, which have been relatively overlooked.

JIFF will close with Kim Hyun-ji's "Namtaeryeong," which follows farmers who ride tractors to Seoul to demand the impeachment of then President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024.

The "J Special: Programmer of the Year" section, now in its sixth year, features filmmaker Byun Young-joo. She has selected five films to present, including David Lean's 1962 epic film "Lawrence of Arabia," Shinsuke Ogawa's 1966 documentary "The Sea of Youth" and her own 2012 mystery thriller "Helpless."

The 26th edition of the festival opens April 29 in the city, located about 190 kilometers south of Seoul, and runs through May 8.

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