Ewha Womans U. slammed for blocking queer film festival

Posters criticizing Ewha Womans University’s refusal to allow the use of its campus theater, Arthouse Momo, for the 2025 Korea Queer Film Festival, hang near the venue’s entrance in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Ewha Womans University's decision to deny the use of its campus theater, Arthouse Momo, for the upcoming Korea Queer Film Festival (KQFF) scheduled for June has sparked criticism, with many accusing the school of discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community.

“The Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF) organizing committee was informed on April 30 by Arthouse Momo, which had already finalized a rental agreement with us for the 25th Korea Queer Film Festival, that the venue would no longer be available,” said Shim Hyo-jin, chairperson of the KQFF, during a press conference Wednesday in Seoul.

The annual film festival was set to kick off on June 20, featuring 39 films from 12 countries at the campus theater — the same venue that hosted the KQFF last year.

However, anti-gay groups filed multiple complaints to the university, arguing that the screening of queer films on campus goes against the university’s founding Christian values and could "promote homosexuality among young students."

In response, the university reportedly conveyed to the theater that “screening movies that contradict the school’s founding Christian ideology cannot be allowed on campus,” leading the theater to cancel the event.

The committee argued that this incident goes beyond mere denial of space for an event.

“It demonstrates structural repression against freedom of expression, cultural and artistic activities and the very existence of social minorities,” Shim said, criticizing the university for abandoning its autonomy and responsibility to make independent judgments as a higher education institution after caving in to external pressure.

He added that several LGBTQ+-related events across the country have been denied a venue by municipalities, citing "civil complaints" as the reason.

“What should be disapproved is hate and discrimination under the pretext of ideology, not the queer film festival,” he said.

Yang Sun-woo, left, chairperson of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival organizing committee, holds a press conference at Hyangrin Church in Seoul, Wednesday to denounce Ewha Womans University's decision to deny the use of the campus theater Arthouse Momo for the 2025 Korea Queer Film Festival. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

This is the first time the festival has been denied a venue under the justification of Christian ideology since its launch in 2001.

The decision triggered immediate criticism from Ewha students and graduates. Several handwritten posters by students hung near the movie theater on Wednesday, denouncing the school’s decision.

“The school’s demand to cancel rental of space on the grounds that the event is a ‘queer’ film festival is clear censorship and a discriminatory administration against LGBTQ people … that poses serious threat and hatred not only to filmmakers and festival organizers but also to queer members of the university,” read a statement by a coalition of student groups named Eum.

The group noted that the school’s decision “goes directly against the direction of the women’s studies and minority research being made at Ewha” and demanded that the school withdraw the denial, disclose the university body responsible for the decision and apologize for promoting homophobia.

The SQCF organizing committee filed a complaint on Tuesday with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

Meanwhile, the university told The Korea Times on Wednesday that the decision was made “based on safety reasons” for an “event that has both supporters and opponents.”

A school official explained that the university is taking precautions to avoid another violent clash on campus, referencing the recent series of confrontations between far-right YouTubers, supporters of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and students during rallies calling for Yoon's ouster.

The university did not provide details on the number or content of the complaints it received regarding the film festival.