The 16th Seoul International Pride Film Festival (SIPFF), the largest LGBTQ film festival in South Korea, opens today.
The opening ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. at CGV Piccadilly 1958 in Jongno, Seoul. This year's festival, led by Executive Chairman Kim Jo-gwang-su, will screen 116 films from 34 countries over the next seven days, concluding on November 11.
The opening film is 'Black Ball,' directed by Javier Ambrosi and Javier Calvo, which won the directing award at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The film tells the story of three gay men living in 1932, 1937, and 2017, centered around an unfinished manuscript by Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.
The ceremony will be hosted by broadcaster Oh Je-hyung, who first emceed the festival in 2017 and returned to the stage last year.
Three ballroom dancers will perform at the opening ceremony. They are part of a crew participating in the 'Pride Ball,' a stage event scheduled for November 8 at the same theater. Following the ceremony, two other dancers from the same crew will perform at the reception.
The films are categorized by program. New Korean queer films will be featured in 'Korea Pride,' while works by emerging directors will be showcased in 'New Pride.' Films depicting the lives of LGBTQ individuals in Asia will be presented in 'Asia Pride,' and major global queer films will be available in 'World Pride.' 'Special Pride' includes restored works from the Korean Film Archive and 'Community Voices,' while this year's 'Open Pride' focuses on the theme 'Transgender: Becoming the Protagonist.'
Additionally, a 'French Short Film Collection' commemorating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, as well as 'Five Films for Freedom' in collaboration with the British Council and BFI Flare, will also be screened.
Detailed program information and schedules for side events can be found on the festival's official website and social media channels.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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