Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung-ryeol) Department of Visual Design, Kim Ji-woo (20) student's 〈Being and Nothingness〉 and Lim Se-young (19) student's 〈Umwelt (Umwelt)〉 were selected as official films for the 26th Jeonju International Film Festival's Korean Short Film Competition and Korean Cinema section, respectively.

The Jeonju International Film Festival is one of the three major international film festivals in Korea, along with the Busan International Film Festival and the Bucheon International Film Festival. The Korean Short Film Competition is an important competition section that only screens world premieres that have not been released through other film festivals or media, and is widely known as a gateway for prospective directors who will lead the future of Korean cinema. The Korean Cinema section is a non-competitive section that proposes the trends of contemporary independent art films in Korea.

This year, 1,510 short films were submitted to the Korean Short Film Competition, the largest number ever, and 30 of them made it to the finals. Kim Ji-woo's Being and Nothingness was selected as the only animated film in the competition and was recognized for its originality. Kim Ji-woo explained that her graduation project, “Being and Nothingness” (2024, animation, 7 minutes), “captures everyday moments in the landscape where various beings live, with the theme of the coexistence of people and nature.” He added, “Through the scenery of living and breathing things and still things side by side, we wanted to convey the message that we are connected in various ways and that we should be together.” He added, “This was my first attempt at analog animation, so I was afraid that I would not be able to complete it in time, but I had a great time drawing about 2,000 pictures and scanning them one by one.”

Kim Ji-woo's graduation project

Im Se-young's graduation project, Umbrella (2024, feature film, 22 minutes), was invited to the Korean Cinema section at the first submission. Student Lim Se-young introduced her work as “a sci-fi short film about the discovery and healing of attachment through an unknown plant,” and explained her intention by saying, “I wanted to make a film about the main character, who reflects on herself and accepts her true self and grows.” She also expressed her gratitude to the senior and junior staff who helped her overcome the unstable weather conditions and the pressure of a fixed budget.

Lim Se-young's graduation project

Both students also said, “The four years I spent at Kookmin University's Department of Visual Design helped me establish my identity as a creator.”

Meanwhile, the 26th Jeonju International Film Festival will be held in Jeonju from Wednesday, April 30 to Friday, May 9.