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The Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF)’s strength is to provide the newest movies and the best delicacies in Korea at the same time. It became one of representative festivals in Korea with the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Unknown directors who were noticed by JIFF are now on the rolls of masters. 

 

LEE Chung-jik is inaugurated as director of the JIFF in August when last festival’s fever was not cool down yet. Maybe because LEE has built a career as a professor at Chungang University’s graduate school, a producer of The Pot, Sogyumo Acacia Band's Story and Enlightenment Film, a jury member of BIFF and head of the Korean Film Council (then known as the Korean Film Commission), he never proposes grandiose plans. LEE exposed his will to overcome the limitation and make JIFF a leading edge film festival.

 

 

 

I heard that during staying abroad. I was holding back that stiff position for several reasons. I got to know that Jeonju Mayor KIM Seung-soo had strong will to support the JIFF and considered the JIFF positively in many ways after I talked with him over telephone. So I thought I could manage it if I worked with existing JIFF staff. I could make a decision easily abroad, rather than in Korea. Because if I were in Korea, I would hear reports or advices from many people. I thought of festival itself. Also, I have been teaching for a living and film festival is a new ground. I got a kind of challenging mind.

 

 

I thought the JIFF is very similar to bijou city Jeonju. The JIFF seemed to be relatively stable comparing with other uproarious festivals. Its stability will accord with its way of preference for serious movies. Audiences are sincere because the JIFF is mind catching place. This can be regarded that it fulfills festival’s primary purpose.

 

 

It is alcohol (laugh). Impressions of watching movies are not that different in any film festivals. But the JIFF has a special atmosphere to enjoy. We got to meet all acquaintances at the JIFF from ‘Gamaekjip’, which is a supermarket allows to have snacks and beers inside, to everywhere. Even though somebody did not drink with me, I could find him in bars next door (laugh). In order to invigorate such mood, I will focus on ‘Cinema Street’ at Gosa-dong. It is a kind of concept to think about films while having a drink in spring.

 

 

We could provide good theater facilities in new places, but there were some comments that it was less comfortable than other years. I think the environment is more important that movies are playing and seen by audiences. Many JIFF fans love the atmosphere enjoying on Cinema Street, so I think I have to make it a certain identity of the festival. Nothing is pinned down yet, but plans will take concrete shape sometime in November. 

 

 

To be honest, I don't think a festival director makes festival. Core works are up to programmers and staff. The role of director is to lead them to carry out their plans. Many people ask me focusing on changes. However when things that JIFF already has are its strong points, and if it is a problem that those points are less flattering or not to share, I think it is a good way to compensate and support them.

 

 

I hope the JIFF’s manpower system would be more professional than now. Payment of the staff does not increase even their career has developed for a few years. Why don’t they do this exciting and worthwhile job if their wage is high? It is a common problem of all film festivals as well as JIFF. There was an interesting opinion to share temporary employees with film festivals. It is a kind of cycle that taking a break after JIFF in May, then joining the festivals in Bucheon or Jecheon in summer, and working at the BIFF in autumn.

 

 

Film festival budget consists of city budget and province budget from region, flim development fund and corporate sponsors. Sponsors decreased sharply as the economy is getting worse. There were some portion to back up from outside corporations before, but that part is decreasing. As a result the JIFF management became tougher. Budgets often used to be decided from time to time, not as planned by film festival committee. Therefore it is common that festival has to reduce the size or cancel projects according to its budget.

 

 

We have to research a lot of things because outline for the next JIFF will be drawn up until the end of October. Accommodation is the biggest problem. It is inevitable to talk about accommodation space, because accommodation industry in Jeonju is very small. We have to find suitable spaces, discuss the places are available during the festival and organize our budget if we use there. Although we have the hotel Ramada Jeonju now, other hotels that had been cast by JIFF so far are closing. I will agonize over and over until the weak point becomes its advantage.

 
You exposed your will to increase parts with local residents.

 

If the JIFF runs on only April and May, the name of Cinema Street is absurd. So we made a project ‘Falling in JEONJU’ which has festival there and let people have sympathy for its name, without a big budget. It selects the hottest films from the JIFF list and invites local people to show films inside and outside. Busking stages and GV with filmmakers and programmers are arranged. Also, We plan to promote ‘100 Films, 100 Posters' this year again, which 100 designer teams made 100 movie posters. I guess it would be interesting to sell posters that received good reviews from visitors.

 

I’d like to do well both of them, I cannot do two things at once though. I hope movies that my students will make would show at the JIFF. I would be very pleased to hear if the place where I stayed is getting better, because the JIFF is beloved festival by all.