[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “Not every film festival can be as prestigious and solemn as the Cannes Film Festival, right? Instead, we created a film festival where audiences, citizens, and filmmakers alike can all have fun and enjoy themselves.”

Director Jang Hang-jun, who breathed new life into the sluggish box office in the first half of the year with *The Man Who Lives with the King*, served as Executive Chairman of the 22nd Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (JIMFF) in the second half of the year, bridging the gap between audiences and film. Director Jang, who served as Executive Chairman for the second consecutive year following last year, highlighted “expanding our reach” and “experiential engagement” as the festival’s key themes this year—and these initiatives yielded tangible results.
A total of 73,792 people attended the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival, which ran from the 3rd to the 8th. This marks the highest attendance in the festival’s history since the pandemic began. A total of 189 films from 51 countries were screened 165 times, with a seat occupancy rate of 73%. Both the opening and closing ceremonies were sold out. The number of domestic and international guests invited reached 247, an increase of approximately 2.8 times compared to last year’s 88.
Director Jang said, “While last year’s goal was to stabilize the festival, this year we placed greater emphasis on expanding its reach,” adding, “We focused on ensuring that many audience members and visitors could experience and enjoy the festival through various programs.”

This year’s festival reorganized the existing International Competition section into the “International Music Film Competition” and created a new “International Competition” to introduce new films from around the world without restrictions on genre or subject matter. By also running “Music Insight,” a competition for Korean feature film composers, and “New Talent,” a competition for emerging film composers, the festival broadened its programming scope to include not only music films but also various genres and the work of film composers.
Director Jang explained at the time, “Rather than simply increasing the number of films, we aimed to carefully select high-quality films and introduce a diverse range of genres with cinematic excellence to create a virtuous cycle where ‘audiences come to watch a movie and end up enjoying the music as well.’”
The most notable change this year was the significant expansion of opportunities for interaction between audiences and filmmakers. Program events—including post-screening discussions (GV) linked to film screenings, as well as “Talk to You,” “Audience Workshop: The Life of a Film,” “Showcase,” “Hidden Track,” and “MusicScape”—increased from 50 sessions last year to 82 this year.
Director Jang’s reputation as a “well-connected figure in the entertainment industry” was evident throughout the festival. Director Park Chan-wook, along with music director Jo Young-wook, held his first-ever public conversation with the audience on the topic of film music. On the same day, Director Bong Joon-ho watched and discussed “Time of the Gypsies” by director Emir Kusturica—a film he considers one of the greatest of all time—with the audience. Figures from various fields—including Sohn Suk-hee, Kim Eun-hee, Jung Seo-kyung, Ryu Sung-hee, and Kwon Il-yong—also participated in the audience programs.
Director Jang emphasized the Jecheon Film Festival’s unique appeal, stating, “These are special programs you would never see at any other film festival.” A special exhibition featuring makeup artist Song Jong-hee, who has 30 years of experience, was held, along with an exhibition of previously unreleased stills from Korean films such as *Snowpiercer*, *Spring in Seoul*, and *Oldboy*. “It was tough having to obtain consent for each and every portrait,” he said, “but we put that much effort into preparing it.”
This “experiential film festival” strategy led to an increase in attendance. This year, 10,848 people visited the “OST Fair,” one of the festival’s flagship audience programs. This represents a 122.3% increase from last year’s 4,879 visitors. By allowing attendees to experience film and music-related merchandise, exhibitions, talks, and showcases all in one space, the festival expanded its scope from one where audiences simply watch a movie and leave to one where they linger and engage.

True to its name—a film festival bearing the regional name “Jecheon”—another key feature is how it has integrated the city center and local commercial districts into the festival. The Jecheon Cultural Theater, the main venue, expanded from four screens last year to seven this year, and by concentrating film screenings, post-screening Q&As, performances, and exhibitions in the downtown area, the festival has minimized audience travel distances. Performances such as “One Summer Night,” “One Summer Dream,” and “Street Musicians” were held at the Jecheon Arts Center and various locations throughout the city center.
Director Jang stated, “A technical company that had previously partnered with the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival began temporary operations under the name ‘Jecheon Cultural Theater,’ and this year, we expanded to include the third-floor space, bringing the total number of screens to seven.” He added, “I feel very proud that, through the film festival, we were able to give the theater back to the citizens.”
The goal he set while preparing for the festival was not grandiose. Director Jang said, “It’s simple: to create a festival where everyone can enjoy themselves happily without any incidents.” He added, “I want to create a festival where movie lovers and future filmmakers can participate and enjoy themselves directly—a festival where people can experience the fun of choosing what to watch, just like a buffet.”
The results following the six-day festival show that Director Jang’s vision has, to a certain extent, become a reality. By expanding films, performances, exhibitions, and talks throughout downtown Jecheon, the festival drew a total of over 70,000 attendees, and the opening ceremony, which was livestreamed online, recorded 975,000 views. The audience once again responded to Director Jang’s tireless efforts to go beyond a “festival for watching” and create a “festival where you can directly experience both film and music.”