The 5th Cinema Digital Film Festival (CinDi) and The 8th EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF) Consecutively Took Place in Seoul, Korea

Published on 2011/08/23 | Source

by KOFIC Staff

Cinema Digital Film Festival (hereafter CinDi, http://www.cindi.or.kr) welcomed its 5th edition on Wednesday, August 17th, with the opening ceremony taking place at CGV Apgujeong with over 350 domestic and overseas guests in attendance.

CinDi has become the leading digital film festival of Asia by introducing original films shot on digital format, including "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" from Thailand, the winner of 2010 Cannes' Palme d'Or, and presenting other Asian digital films in competition.

The 5th CinDi has selected Hong Sang-soo's "The Day He Arrives", a digital feature that was an official Un Certain Regards selection at this year's Cannes and will showcase diverse digital films in sections including 'Asian Competition', 'Butterfly', 'Perspective' and 'CinDi Extremes' until August 23. CinDi has been concerning about the future of cinema by introducing digital cinema, the frontier of world cinema centering on Asia.

15 feature films from all over Asia, including Korea, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Thailand and more, will be in fierce competition for total of 4 Chameleon Awards in 'Asian Competition', with Red Chameleon competition judges including such leading filmmakers as Eric KHOO (Singapore), Lee Yoon-ki (Korea), Pen-ek RATANARUANG (Thailand) and Yoichi SAI (Japan), along with Korean actress YEH Ji-won selecting the winners.

A newly created 'CinDi Smart' is a section that introduces films produced using smartphones, reflecting the expansion of new creative tool in film production today. Meanwhile, 'Perspective' introduces a collection of animation works by SUN Xun, the rising star of Chinese animation. In addition, 'Digital Restoration' will present "The Boxes of Death", Kim Ki-young's debut film which was discovered missing the negative sound print. Its newly digitally-mastered copy will be presented with a live performance by BAEK Hyun-jin Band, providing audiences with special occasion of film screening.

After that, opening of the 8th EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF) will take place on August 19 at Samsung d'light in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Presented by Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), Korea's public education channel, EIDF is an international documentary festival that was launched back in 2004, inheriting the times and the spirits of documentary works and providing communicative ground for various global cultures. Having been in spotlight since the beginning for its unconventional all-day-long programming, EIDF welcomes its 8th edition by expanding its off-line venues to include Lotte Cinema, Korea's leading multiplex theatre chain, in order to provide more opportunities to communicate with its audiences.

With this year's motto 'Be The Voice', EIDF will broadcast and screen documentaries with various subject matters on global village until August 25. In addition to directors in competition section, Leonard RETEL HELMRICH, the winner of World Documentary Award at Sundance. Bill NICHOLS, Professor at San Francisco State University, ZHANG Xien Min, a professor at Beijing Film Academy, and other leading documentary professionals from all over the world will be in attending EIDF to further brighten its festivities.

EIDF's opening film is "How Are You Doing, Rudolf Ming?" by Latvian director Roberts RUBINS, which can be seen live at Samsung d'light and live on-the-air via EBS Channel. Over 50 documentary works will be screened through various program sections, including 'Festival Choice', its competition section, as well as 'Issues in Education', 'Korean Docs Panorama', 'Richard Leacock Retrospective' and 'Spotlight on Columbia'. In addition, EIDF Special Events feature EIDF Documentary Academy, consisting of global documentary conference, master class and 3D documentary production workshop to name a few.

In addition to CinDi showcase on a collection of smartphone-shot films, EIDF is planning to reveal everything there is to know about one-man mobile documentary production through its master class. Through these two festivals, audiences will be able to get a glimpse on the cutting-edge film aesthetics.