KOREA PRIDE

A section dedicated to discovering and 

presenting newly produced queer films from Korea.

 Short Competition

Programmer’s Recommendations:
For the Mourning of a Mourning, Borderline, Womb Mates, Two Hours

The Korea PRIDE – Short Film Competition highlights emerging directors and actors, serving as a platform to foster the growth of Korean queer cinema. Once again, a lineup of highly accomplished short films is ready to meet audiences this year. This year’s short film selection reveals a notable shift in the portrayal of queer characters. In contrast to earlier domestic queer films where characters were often idealized, the new works display striking candor.
The queer protagonists appear cunning, flawed, or conflicted, revealing their complexity and humanity without hesitation.
This evolution marks a movement beyond simple representation, toward a deeper exploration of queer emotion and the multifaceted nature of being human.

OH Sang-min(Director)’s For the Mourning of a Mourning, premiering as a World Premiere, follows Juwan, a trans male filmmaker who learns of his father’s passing while shooting a documentary. Choosing not to attend the funeral, he confronts his past, his relationships, and the lingering resonance of grief. Viewing mourning not as an ending but as a process, the film delicately captures the intersections of loss, identity, and family.

LEE Jae-won(Director)’s Borderline follows Ji-hae, who is called in for questioning after hearing news of her ex-girlfriend’s disappearance. As the police retrace her memories of that day, fragments of their final meeting surface—ordinary moments that gradually reveal hidden tension and emotional undercurrents.

NOH Hee-jeong(Director)’s Womb Mates is a dark comedy that playfully twists issues surrounding women’s bodies and agency through the concept of an app that allows users to share menstrual cycles and swap wombs.
Min-hee, who constantly experiences a sense of dissonance within her relationship, reimagines her uncontrollable body and emotions through this fantastical premise. Premiered at the 2025 Jeonju International Film Festival, the film uses bold imagination and wit to expose the uneasy realities surrounding women’s bodies with both humor and insight.

LEE Jae-won(Director)’s Two Hours begins when chauffeur Chang-han meets drag queen Jun-seo as a client. When Jun-seo fails to return after delivering payment, Chang-han encounters his roommate, Yul-ha. Trapped together for “two hours” due to a banking system outage, the two begin to glimpse each other’s lives, discovering emotions that transcend the boundaries between strangers.

This year’s Korea PRIDE section is filled with a diverse selection of films that will meet the expectations of audiences who love Korean queer cinema.

We invite you not to miss 39 brilliant short films that showcase the boundless possibilities of Korean queer filmmaking.