[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] The Jeongdongjin Independent Film Festival, Gangwon Province’s largest independent film festival, is set to kick off in grand style.

Ahead of its opening on the 7th, the 28th Jeongdongjin Independent Film Festival has completed preparations to welcome audiences despite the record-breaking heatwave. The opening ceremony will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the 7th at the Jeongdong Elementary School playground in Gangneung (1055 Heonhwa-ro, Gangdong-myeon, Gangneung-si, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province), with actors Oh Min-ae and Yoo Yi-ha serving as hosts.
In addition, the band “Omar and Dongbang Jeonryeok,” which performs spiritual dance music bridging Africa and Asia, will put on a celebratory opening performance, promising to make Jeongdongjin’s summer night even more special.
This year’s Jeongdongjin Independent Film Festival will screen a total of 27 independent films—25 short films and 2 feature-length films—free of charge.
A diverse lineup of films awaits audiences, including the feature-length films *When I Grow Up* and *Gong-soon*, as well as the short films *Buckwheat Jelly*, *Pretend to Be Dead Just a Little Longer*, *Communion*, and *Tomato Throwing*. Notably, starting this year, the Gangneung Independent Art Theater Shin Young will operate as a second screening venue. This second screening venue was established to improve accessibility for local residents and audiences who previously found it difficult to visit the festival venue at Jeongdong Elementary School in Jeongdongjin due to peak-season traffic congestion and distance constraints.
The 28th Jeongdongjin Independent Film Festival aims to be “a barrier-free and sustainable film festival created together with the audience.” All films will be screened in barrier-free versions—featuring Korean subtitles and audio description (a movement to break down physical and institutional barriers to create a society where socially vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, can live comfortably)—and sign language and text interpretation will be provided for key programs, such as Q&A sessions with the audience.
In addition, the festival creates an environment where everyone can comfortably enjoy films—including designated viewing areas for wheelchair users, lift-equipped vehicles, and accessible restrooms—continuing its commitment to being a festival for all.
Efforts to ensure the festival’s sustainability will also continue. Building on the collaboration with the Resource Recycling Team—which has been in operation since 2023—and the Ecological Transition Village Tomorrow Cooperative, the festival will continue its resource recycling projects carried out in partnership with the audience.
Various audience participation programs have also been organized, including the “Starry Night Post Office,” where attendees can receive postcards they’ve written either immediately after the festival or one year later; the “Clink of Coins Award,” in which the audience directly selects the best film; and “The Allure of the Royal Seats.” In addition, the festival will offer a diverse range of experiences that bridge film and everyday life, including yoga classes with “Yoga Boy,” “Reading Under the Starry Night”—a session where attendees can read the screenplay for *3rd Grade, 2nd Semester* with director Lee Ran-hee—and food booths featuring local Gangneung brands such as Bird Tree Brewery, Makocot, and Monument.
The 28th Jeongdongjin Independent Film Festival will take place over four days, from the 7th to the 10th, at Jeongdong Elementary School in Gangneung, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and at the Gangneung Independent Art Theater Shinyeong.