Sayart.net - Seoul Independent Film Festival Premieres Vintage Korean Animations from the 1980s and 1990s

The 49th Annual Festival Introduces Independent Korean Animation Classics Alongside Competitive Showcase

Courtesy of SIFF

The 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival, renowned as South Korea's sole independent film festival with a competitive exhibition, has broken new ground by screening independent Korean animation films from the 1980s and 1990s in local theaters for the first time.

Concurrently running with the film festival, the Independent Film Archive Exhibition spotlights six indie Korean animations from the 1980s and '90s, all crafted through the cel animation method, involving the manual creation of two-dimensional drawings on transparent plastic sheets. 

▲ A still cut from "When That Day Comes" (1987), directed by Choe Jeong-hyeon (SIFF)

Directed by Choe Jeong-hyeon, considered a pioneer in Korea's first independent animation films, three of Choe's works—"Insect Net" (1983), "Scar" (1984), and "When That Day Comes" (1987)—explore the post-coup atmosphere following Gen. Chun Doo-hwan's rise to power in 1980. "Insect Net" portrays student protests under surveillance, "Scar" draws parallels between Gen. Chun Doo-hwan's regime and Japanese colonial rule, and "When That Day Comes" reflects on the Korean people's response to the death of pro-democracy activist Park Jong-chul.

Additional featured animations include Lee Yong-bae's "Wa-Bull," narrating the story of a Sleeping Buddha at Unjusa in Hwasun, South Jeolla Province, and Kim Hyun-joo's "Still Unbroken," recipient of the Excellence Award at the inaugural Seoul Short Film Festival in 1994.

The lineup also includes "One Day of Hitchcock," an animated film by Ahn Jae-huun, based on the major works of English American director Alfred Hitchcock.

After the screenings, a discussion session will provide participants with an opportunity to share opinions on the animated films. Interviews with the directors will be accessible on the social media and YouTube accounts of the Seoul Independent Film Festival.

The 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival, inaugurated on Thursday, is set to conclude on Friday at CGV Apgujeong in southern Seoul.

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