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Korea Pride Section

The section focusing on introducing and discovering the queer films created in Korea 

Korea PRIDE Section is one of the most popular sections in SIPFF since the audience can enjoy originality and charm of Korean queer films. Also, Korea PRIDE Section provides the chances for the new directors and actors to be introduced to the public, in order to enhance the development of Korean queer film industry. 

In 2023 Korea PRIDE Section’s Korean Short Films Competition, high quality of Korean queer films will be screened. <Angel Shining> directed by Jung Jae-yeon, having an element of theater where an actor plays monodrama, providing the opportunities for simple and strong cinematic experiences for the audience. <Mountain Lingers> directed by Song Hye-ryeong comically describes the story of a split up gay couple, where one of them became a shaman, and the other got married hiding his true identity, and encounter with each other at the fortune teller place, performing a shaman ritual. <Alumni> directed by Kim Young-woo unfolds the story of MTF transgender main character, hearing the news that his college alumnus is casted as his partner at his play. The viewing points are delicate acting and persuasive directing. 

<An Ordinary Day> directed by Gim Ju-yeon presents the story of the two main characters, unfamiliar with each other, getting close in the afternoon of the day notified a comet will crash into the Earth. The film has a set-up suiting for short films, rushing through the extreme situation where the two characters cannot help but express their true feelings. <Why Would People Go to See the Sea> directed by Lee Jong-min and Yeum Moon-kyeong is the most notable gay short films this year. 

<Lover’s Story: Fragment> directed by Marta J. Giotti presents three love stories happening for a day at a hot summer night, showing how they meet and split up with each other. <Their Universe> directed Han Jeong-gil has an impressive fantasy set-up where a dead ex-lover comes back to alive. <Nobody’s Home> directed by Ryu Hyeong-joon describes the story of a transgender person who cannot live with the family who tries to buy the house with the settlement money for an assault. As such, the tendency of this year’s recommended films is based on the reality, but shows brilliant and creative trials of the directors. 

Besides these films, there are many films of the directors who have constantly made queer films and participated in SIPFF for a long time. <Out!> directed by Son Tae-gyum, who created <Night Flight (2011)>, <In the Summer (2012)>, and more; <My Heart Is Going to Explode!> directed Jung In-hyuk, who created <Love in the Tinder Age (2019)>; <Gayder TV> and <No Heaven, But Love>, directed by Han Jay, who created <Take Me Home (2020)>.