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- Bring out Your GIGAntic Imagination: 5th Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival Showcase
- by Sonia KIL / Jun 25, 2015
- Festival Newly Launches Feature SectionActress BAE Doo-na joins Jury
Esteemed Korean filmmaker PARK Chan-wook, PARK Chan-kyong ’s Berlin-winning short film Night Fishing was shot on a smartphone in 2011, three years after Spike Lee predicted that "new movies will be made with devices like cell phones within five years."Indeed, smartphones have long become an integral part of life. Not only in terms of technology and finance, the impact of smartphone has been noticeable in terms of culture and filmmaking.It is almost natural that one of world’s biggest smartphone film festivals has been held for four years in Korea, where information technology and mobile phone uptake are more rapidly growing in the majority of other parts of the world.The 5th Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival showcase was held in a CGV theater in Seoul on June 23. Launched in 2011, the fest has reasonably expanded over the past five years.In addition to 10-minute films and mini films within the 1-minute running time, the festival adds a new competition category for feature films this year.“A fair number of smartphone-shot films get theatrical releases overseas, many of them being feature length films. We wanted to provide opportunities to those who might have such aims,” said CHIN Won-suk, the festival’s deputy chairman.Deputy chairman YOON Jong-seok added “We are waiting for films that are alive, that are different from preceding films. We are looking forward to watching films that makes the best out of the strength of smartphones.”In addition to the feature film competition, the festival also launches a new project that aims to support smartphone film productions. Scenarios submitted to the festival committee will be examined and the best one will receive a production budget of 10 million KRW.Renowned actress BAE Doo-na took over the jury president job from director RYOO Seung-wan this year. BAE is the first non-director jury president of the festival. At the showcase, BAE said “I take photos and video clips on my smartphone. I am proud to take part in an event that frees filmmakers of capital and budget.”“We still aim to style the festival as an ‘authority-free festival,” said festival director LEE Joon-ik at the showcase. “A Smartphone, which is also a filmmaking equipment, is a means to break down the social power structure, because everyone has smartphones these days, and anyone can make films on it”The 5th Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival’s award ceremony will be held on September 9. Submissions are available from July 1 through August 17.
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