Jecheon int'l fest kicks off with music, films from 35 countries

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- The fifth Jecheon International Music and Film
Festival kicked off its six-day schedule Thursday in the central Korean province
featuring cinema and music from 35 different countries.
The annual festival, Asia's first music-oriented film event, will feature some 90
films and 30 music performances through Aug. 18 at major theaters and art houses
in Jecheon, located some 168 kilometers from Seoul in North Chungcheong Province.
The event opens with "The Soloist" by Joe Wright, which tells the real-life story
of a homeless Julliard trained musician starring Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and
Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr.
World Music Film Today, the event's sole competition section, will present 10
films from around the world this year.
Five jury members, including Korean director Lee Myeong-se, Japanese producer
Iseki Satoru, Taiwanese composer Lim Giong, and French director Dominique
Brenguier, will award two outstanding films with the grand prize and special jury
prize among a selection of contemporary works of all genres that share music as a
main theme.
"Anvil's Heavy-metal Story" and "Dancing Zoo" are among the candidates this year,
with the winner to be screened as the closing film. The grand prize winner will
receive 10 million won (about US$ 7,700).
Sections also include Music Shorts on Track, which screens 14 Korean and 14
international short films, and Cinema Concert, which will feature German silent
film classic "The Golem" and Austrian string quartet "Naked Lunch."
Family Fest will feature films for younger audiences such as "Sergeant Keroro,"
while 16 music documentaries will be screened in the Music in Sight section.
The Korean Music Film Now section revisits four features and five documentaries
portraying local indie bands. The Theme and Variations section will offer five
music films featuring classical music composers and orchestras including "Kurt
Mazur: A Life in Music" and "El Sistema."
Korean music director Chung Sung-jo will receive the Jecheon Film Music Award,
established to honor the accomplishments of local film music masters who have had
significant influence on the film and music culture of Korea. Three of Chung's
representative works -- "Yeong-Ja's Heydays," "Deep Blue Night" and "Lee
Jang-ho's Baseball Team" -- will be screened during the event.
The opening ceremony, hosted by TV series "Boys over Flower" heroine Koo Hye-sun
and singer Alex, will be attended by several big names in the local film industry
including directors Im Kwon-taek, Lee Jang-ho, Kim Ji-woon, actresses Han
Chae-young, Kang Soo-yeon, and actors Ahn Sung-kee and Park Joong-hoon.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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