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A scene from the Seoul International Youth Film Festival's opening film "Man in the Chair," a story of self-discovery and hope. / Courtesy of SIYFF |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
 The vibrant youth culture of Myeongdong will resonate as the Ninth Seoul International Youth Film Festival (SIYFF) kicks off in the trendy northern hub of Seoul, July 19-24.
Founded in 1999, the festival is Korea's largest film event for young people, and continues to inspire. Over 100 films will hit screens, and for the main competition, a group of 13 to 18-year-old jurors will voice their opinion and award a prize of their own.
Michael Schroeder's award-winning ``Man in the Chair'' (2007) will inaugurate the festival at Seoul Cinema Wednesday evening. In the film, a rebellious 17-year-old Cameron Kincaid enters a student film competition to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker. Along the way, Cameron teams up with forgotten movie legends. As the boy and his elderly crewmembers embark on a unique project, they find inspiration and happiness.
A total of 25 films from Korea, Indonesia, Iran, China, Spain, Germany, the United States and Australia will compete under two age group categories, 13 to 18 and 19 to 24.
The jury, headed by Professor Joo Jin-suk, includes internationally renowned actress Kang Soo-yeon (``Sibaji,'' 1987), director Lee Myung-se (``Duelist,'' 2005) and other film experts together with the younger judges.
The young jury members are participants of the concurrently held Media Education Camp. In addition to meeting famous filmmakers and actors, the children will oversee the competition in collaboration with the professionals, and will award the SIYFF Youth Jury's Award.
The out-of-competition lineup includes critically acclaimed works from around the world, including short films, coming-of-age dramas and documentaries that entire families can enjoy.
A special section will show some 30 films created by young talent. The SIYFF lends a hand to teenage directors through its production support system. Anyone in Korea can apply, and selected films are screened at the annual festival.
Not only can young participants of the festival learn about filmmaking, but they can create works themselves through the International Filmmaking Camp (INFC). Held simultaneously with the festival, the camp will be a creative ``hot spot'' for teenagers from all over the world. Fifteen teams will produce original films and present them at the closing ceremony.
Through ``Hey kids! Want to watch a film with your teacher?'' students and teachers can enjoy a fun learning experience outside of the classroom. A 50% ticket discount and a free group photo (printed on the spot) are available for groups of 10 or more.
Tickets for all films cost 4,000 won, while admission for closing and opening events costs 8,000 won. Movies will be screened at multiplex theater CINUS Myeong-dong, except for the inauguration. Tickets can be purchased online at www.cinus.co.kr or on the site during the course of the festival, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Visit www.siyff.com or call (02) 775-0501 for more information about the festival.
hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
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한국과 일본 국가부도위험 비슷해졌다
