Jeonju IFF taps Kent Jones' 'Late Fame' as opening night pick; martial law doc to close

The 27th Jeonju International Film Festival unveiled its full lineup at a press conference at CGV Yongsan in Seoul on Tuesday, announcing Kent Jones' "Late Fame" as the opener for the 10-day event kicking off April 29.

This year's edition, running through May 8 across 21 screens at five venues across Jeonju, will screen 237 films from 54 countries -- 97 Korean and 140 international -- with 78 world premieres on the slate, up 13 titles from last year.

"Late Fame," which had its world premiere at last year's Venice Film Festival, gets its Korean premiere at Jeonju.

Jones, a critic-turned-filmmaker who helmed the New York Film Festival from 2012 to 2019, casts Dafoe as a onetime poet pulled back into New York's art world when young writers take up his long-forgotten work. Greta Lee co-stars.

Programmer Moon Sung-kyung described it as a work that "portrays a contemporary New York unable to let go of its past" while "stripping away the illusions surrounding artistic life."

Closing the festival is Kim Hyun-ji's "The Longest Night: Namtaeryeong," a documentary making its world premiere.

The film picks up roughly two weeks after South Korea's short-lived martial law crisis of December 2024, centering on the standoff that erupted when farmers marching tractors toward central Seoul were blocked by police at the Namtaeryeong pass.

Programmer Moon Seok said the film captures how one night's events transformed the young women and farmers involved, and what that might mean for Korean society going forward. "Above all, it's a fun documentary," he said, "made to match the energy of this spirited new generation."

The International Competition selected 10 titles from 421 submissions across 70 countries, all making their Asian premieres.

The selection includes Ragip Turk's "Stone and Feather," Walter Thompson-Hernandez's "If I Go Will They Miss Me" and Ankur Hooda's "The Calf Doll."

The Korean Competition, open to first- and second-time feature directors, also selected 10 films. Programmers noted a strong documentary showing, with four of the ten picks falling in the nonfiction category.

Moon Seok said the selections drew on directors' personal narratives rather than leaning into politics. "What they share is a clarity and sensitivity in conveying the filmmaker's message," he said.

Sidebars include a retrospective on 1960s and '70s New York underground cinema; an independent Hong Kong cinema showcase; and mini focuses on Korean director Park Sye-young and Japanese genre filmmaker Ugana Kenichi.

This year's festival also pays tribute to Ahn Sung-ki, the veteran actor who died in January at 74 after a six-decade career spanning over 130 films.

The retrospective, titled "Special Focus: Ahn Sung-ki's Memorable Films Yet Rarely Seen," showcases seven of his lesser-known works, including independent and arthouse titles that speak to the actor's willingness to take risks outside the mainstream.

Director Byun Young-joo ("The Murmuring," "Helpless") has been named this year's Programmer of the Year.

"I've been making TV series for several years now, and I'm preparing to shoot a new film early next year," Byun said. "Taking this on feels like turning the ignition on my return to cinema."

Co-chair Min Sung-wook said this year's festival aims to "inject an avant-garde spirit into Korean cinema, which has been stuck in convention."

Actor and co-chair Jung Jun-ho pointed to a tie-up with Universal Pictures on a "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" special program as part of the festival's efforts to widen its audience. The organizers had put together a diverse selection despite difficulties across the industry, he added.

The 27th Jeonju International Film Festival runs April 29-May 8.