The 15th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival introduced its music films and music programs for this year which will be held from August 8th to 13th for six days.

In 2019 JIMFF will screen total 126 films from 36 countries including the opening film Inna de Yard – The Soul of Jamaica, and show various music performances by more than 30 teams including SKULL & HAHA, Heize, Realslow, and others.

In particular, JIMFF will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Korean Cinema with a special session for Korean music films. Moreover, JIMFF diversifies the venues for music performances to meet more audiences.

126 music films will be screened at 15th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. The number of films is more than 116 of last year, and the largest number of films in JIMFF’s history.

The festival will open its door with the screening of Inna de Yard – The Soul of Jamaica, a film directed by Peter Webber who is well known for directing Hannibal Rising and The Girl with a Pearl Earring. The opening film is a documentary about legendary Jamaican reggae musicians, in which reggae music and the performers’ touching stories weave with the beautiful Jamaican scenery.

The international competition section, “World Music Film Today” introduces seven films: three documentaries and four feature films. A documentary Piazzolla, the Years of the Shark depicts the life of Piazzolla who elevated tango to another level. Mr. Jimmy portrays the Japanese guitarist who strived to mirror all performances of the legendary guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. A Punk Daydream is a documentary about an Indonesian punk community. One of four feature films is Rhythm is Everywhere, tells a story of an Indian percussionist. Sabre Dance dramatizes the process of composer Khachaturian composing the masterpiece “Sabre Dance” and This Old Road is a story about a Japanese children’s song composer. The Accordionist’s Son narrates the strife between the accordionist father and his son. Among these seven films one will be selected, and given the LOTTE Award, the film will be awarded 20 million KRW as an additional prize. Also, it will be the closing film of the festival.

“100 Years of Korean Cinema, Songs of the Times” is a section specially organized for this year to commemorate the centenary of Korean cinema. Including Heavenly homecoming to stars, Sopyonje, and Radio Star, six Korean music films will be screened.

15th JIMFF has prepared a screening to honor the director Ryu Jang-ha, who passed away last February. Since he made his debut film When Spring Comes in 2004 Ryu has been famous for creating tender and pleasant films such as Hello, Schoolgirl and Listen to Your Heart. 14th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival showed his last movie The Beautiful Mind. The screening will present the director’s major films, and it is with a special performance.

“Cinema Concert” section will introduce Kokdu: A Story of Guardian Angels, a film version of the National Gugak Center’s performance, “Kokdu.” It is a warm family story; Korean traditional culture, music, and dance depict the way fully mourns loved ones’ death and lets them go. Also, “Cinema Concert” will screen a comedy film The Self-Seeker made in Soviet Russia in 1927 and a drama film The Polish Dancer created in Poland in 1917, accompanied with the performance of Marcin Pukaluk, a Polish musician who is specialized for silent films.

The documentary section “Music in Sight” will show two films about music labels. One is about the famous jazz label, Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes, and the other is about the reggae label Trojan Records, Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records. Also, “Music in Sight” will introduce documentaries that portray the lives and music of the legendary musicians such as Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and others.

“Korean Music Film Now” will show the diversity of contemporary Korean music films. Audiences can see the new possibility of music in Korean cinema, Viva la Vida‘s gypsy music and Shining Ground’s hip hop music are good examples. Both films were selected by the Jecheon Music Film Project Promotion 2018. Kim Jihee’s refreshing guitar performance in Free My Soul, Free My Song is also an excellent example. Moreover, there will be a special screening to commemorate the late director Ryu Jang-ha, it will show three of his films, including his last film, Listen to Your Heart. The Beautiful Mind, which was screened in JIMFF 2018.

In 2019 Korean cinema celebrates its 100th anniversary. Fight for Justice is the first Korean film which was fully funded by Korean investors and screened in 1919 since then it has been 100 years. JIMFF plans a special program “100 Years of Korean Cinema, Songs of the Times.” JIMFF will co-host it with the Committee for Korean Film 100 Years, Korean Film Council and Korean Film Archive to celebrate the centenary of Korean cinema, and show six Korean music films including The Blue Hill (1949), Heavenly homecoming to stars (1974) and Radio Star (2006).

“Theme & Variations” sets its sub-theme as “Music as Resistance” and focuses on resistance music and culture around the world and across times. The resistance music in Woodstock (1970) moved the age. Also, the daily practice of resistance music in To Live and Die in Manilla (2018) and The Songs of Grassroots (2018) are analogous with respiration to those under constant repression.

“Cinema Concert” which has been JIMFF’s symbolic program since 2006, realizes the most classic form of film music through screenings accompanied by live music performances. 15th JIMFF will introduce two films accompanied by the performance of Marcin Pukaluk, a Polish professional musician for silent films: The Self-Seeker (1927), a comedy film created in the Soviet Union; and The Polish Dancer (1917), a romance movie made in Poland. Also, another special movie will be Kokdu: A Story of Guardian Angels (2017). It is a film version of the National Gugak Center’s original performance [Kokdu], which tells a moving story about young siblings who go to the underworld to find their grandmother’s flower shoes.

15th JIMFF will be held from August 8th to 13th. The festival will show 127 music films at Megabox Jecheon and Cheongpung Lakeside Stage; also JIMFF will present various music programs