Independent and experimental cinema shapes the JEONJU International Film Festival in Jeonju, South Korea. Its international competition concentrates on first and second features, alongside Korean feature and short-film competitions. Expanded Cinema explores unconventional film language, while Cinephile JEONJU presents restored works and film history. The festival also supports production through the JEONJU Cinema Project, which finances and produces feature films.
Founded in 2000, the festival combines international fiction and documentary films with retrospectives, filmmaker conversations and screenings across the city. The JEONJU International Film Festival Organizing Committee presents the event, with programming and operations led by its Executive Committee. The dates for the 28th edition are 28 April–7 May 2027 in Jeonju.
Awards and prizes
The published 2026 award structure includes a Grand Prize, Best Film Prize and Special Jury Prize in International Competition. Korean Competition recognises films through its Grand Prize and Special Jury Prize, a promising director through the NONGSHIM SHIN RAMYUN Award, and performances through two Best Actor Prizes; it also includes the CGV Award.
Korean Competition for Shorts presents a Grand Prize, Best Director Prize, Special Jury Prize and Aero K Awards. Special awards include the FUJIFILM KOREA Award for an established director in Korean Cinema, the Documentary Award for a Korean feature documentary, the NETPAC Award for an Asian film in a non-competition section, the Cineteca Nacional México Award providing Mexican distribution support for a Korean feature, and the regional J Vision Award. Award categories and conditions may change by edition.
Festival rules
The latest published film-submission regulations are for the 2026 edition. They classify films under 40 minutes, including credits, as shorts and films of 40 minutes or more as features. Competitive and non-competitive sections accept films across genres. International Competition is reserved for a director’s first or second feature; every co-director must meet this requirement. It requires at least an Asian premiere, with a stated exception for Asian productions screened only in their home country. The 2026 competition requires completion after January 2025.
Entries use the submission platforms linked by the festival and include a private screener. Non-English screeners require embedded English subtitles. Films already released on SVOD, VOD, DVD or Blu-ray are ineligible for official sections; graduation and private screenings are exceptions. The submitted screener must correspond to the final screening version, and changes require notification. Selected films provide a DCP and promotional materials. Korean feature and short competitions have separate submission routes. The 2027 regulations are not yet published; edition-specific conditions should be checked in the official call.
