"Never Settling Festival" Jecheon Film Festival Undergoing Structural Reform

Like Jang Hangjun's Challenge,
The Festival Takes an Unfamiliar Path

The transformation is starting with individuals and spreading throughout the entire festival. The 22nd Jecheon International Music & Film Festival is undertaking a major overhaul, revamping not only the number of films screened but also the venue for its opening ceremony.

Director Jang Hangjun is speaking at the 22nd Jecheon International Music & Film Festival briefing held at Jecheon City Hall, Chungbuk on the afternoon of the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News

The need for restructuring lies in the numbers. Although approximately 4 billion won has been invested annually, the impact has fallen short of expectations. Visitor numbers fell from 22,000 in 2023 to 19,000 in 2024, before increasing to 61,000 last year. During the same period, the proportion of paid ticket purchases declined from 53% to 47%, and then to the 20% range. Even among the tickets sold, most were for performances by famous singers rather than film screenings. While the festival’s external scale has grown, its core identity as a “film festival” has faded.

The organizing committee is making changes both internally and externally. The number of films to be screened will increase from around 120 to roughly 180, and the festival will broaden its genre scope beyond music films to include action, horror, and more. The main event venue, which previously hosted the opening ceremony and performances by popular singers at an airstrip on the outskirts of Jecheon, will move to the outdoor stage at the Jecheon Arts Center in the city center. To encourage visitors to spend money at local businesses, initiatives such as local currency incentives have been established. The goal is to transform the event from a festival contained within the film festival grounds to a structure that engages the entire city.

At the heart of this shift is Director Jang Hangjun, who has served as executive committee chair for the past two years. Jang, who joined the ranks of directors with 10 million-ticket hits thanks to “The Man Living With the King,” is also preparing a similar transformation in his own creative work. At a press conference held at Jecheon City Hall in Chungbuk on the 30th, he said, “So far, I’ve only put actors in hanbok, so I’d like my next project to be a contemporary piece.” He also mentioned that he is considering the history of Jecheon’s volunteer soldiers as a future topic. His willingness to experiment with unfamiliar genres, rather than sticking to proven box-office formulas, closely aligns with the direction the festival is taking.

On the afternoon of the 30th, a press conference for the 22nd Jecheon International Music & Film Festival is being held at Jecheon City Hall in Chungbuk. Photo by Yonhap News.

Beyond individual ambition, there is also movement to lay a stronger foundation for the festival itself. Lee Sangcheon, the mayor of Jecheon, attended in his role as chair of the festival’s board and stated, “Next year, the festival will open in August, during the summer vacation season, to boost citizen participation and strengthen ties to the local economy, and we will seek more partnerships and sponsorships from companies to reduce the city’s reliance on its own finances.” This dual strategy aims to attract crowds with high-profile lineups while, in the long term, establishing a base for self-reliance.

Within this context, this year’s festival is screening 188 films from 45 countries under the slogan “Fly Together.” The festival will host a special still photo exhibition featuring unreleased images from “Snowpiercer” and “Oldboy,” as well as master classes featuring art director Yoo Seonghee and “Decision to Leave” screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyeong. The talk program “Talk to You” will feature director Bong Joonho, journalist Sohn Sukhee, actress Jeon Mido, and singer Kim Yoona. Leading music event “One Summer Night” will see FT Island, Crush, Monsta X, and Lisene take the stage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.