DMZ국제다큐멘터리영화제

Greetings, this is Kim Dong-yeon, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Governor of Gyeonggi Province.

“Act out for Friendship and Solidarity” Let me welcome you all to the 16th International Documentary Film Festival on behalf of 14.1 million Gyeonggi-do residents.

It is a great pleasure to meet you.
This is KIM Dong-yeon, the governor of Gyeonggi-do and chairman of organizing committee for the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival.

The DMZ International Documentary Film Festival expands beyond storytelling and provides an opportunity to seriously reflect on conflict, humanity, hatred, and violence.

Enlightening and impressing the audiences through truthful story is the strongest power of documentaries and the core value of our film festival.

The DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, to be held from September 26, will feature various programs to introduce documentaries that unveil the horrors of war happening around the world and reflect on the essence of peace.

DMZ, which has been a symbol of division, is turned into a cultural space that delivers a message of peace, communication, and life for a hopeful message of starting again.

Gyeonggi-do promises to play a role as a cultural bridge and as a channel for watching the films by filmmakers around the world for the first time.

Gyeonggi-do will offer the opportunity to spread the power of documentary to 14.1 million Gyeonggi-do residents, Korea, and the whole world, opportunity to create for cultural artists, and opportunity to raise the power of art to social value.

I sincerely hope that resonance of peace delivered by the global filmmakers will resonate in the hearts of everyone.

Again, welcome to the 16th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, and thank you for your interest and support.

Greetings to all film and peace lovers.
Thank you for your love and support for the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival.

The 16th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival will be held from September 26 to October 2nd.
Like the last year, the opening ceremony will be held at Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Outdoor Stage.

I can’t wait to see the meanings and changes that this year’s film festival will bring.

You can also watch documentaries and concerts at Camp Greaves located inside the Civilian Control Line. I look forward to seeing more people visit the Civilian Control Line, and I also hope that it will be filled with meaningful moments that leave lasting impression in your eyes and hearts.

I wish the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival to continue its long years of reputation and unique meaning, and I also express my deep gratitude to Organizing Committee chairman, Kim Dong-yeon, Festival Director, CHANG Haerang, and all related people for their hard work.

I sincerely hope for health and happiness of all of you.
Thank you.

Why do we hold DMZ International Documentary Film Festival? What should a documentary film festival be?

Let me ask you the same question as the last year. The answer is to check the place and identity of the documentary film festival. The tears and pains are growing bigger and despair is growing deeper at the actual scenes. So, it’s time to look back and think what you are, what you are doing, and who you are. “You” gets replaced by “We” and the world commands you and us to share the grief and pain to break through the reality.

That’s why documentaries and film festival desperately need “Action for Friendship and Solidarity.”

To fulfill the mission of documentary film festival and comply with the international standard set by the film festival last year, this year’s film festival brings changes and innovation. First, it steps into life of Gyeonggi-do residents (audiences). There will be a variety of screenings, concerts, and events at the film festival street and outdoor theater prepared by the film festival to help the residents experience the film festival and documentaries from a closer distance. The film festival space also has been expanded to increase the point of contact between the residents and film festival. The special exhibitions will be held throughout the year regardless of the film festival period, and 119 films from 43 countries thoroughly selected by the film festival will be screened at the main theaters and will be available at special theaters around the city through the DMZ Docs Plus. There also will be stronger connection and networking with the film creators. We promise to work with Korean and global creators who are fulfilling their mission to discover and record while enduring tough production environment.

This year’s film festival changed a lot and prepared with all hearts. 
DMZ Docs Industry has been changed to an integrated funding-pitching system to support production and strengthen education system. Furthermore, “DMZ Docs Forum 2024” is newly arranged to integrate the topics and pending issues in film festival’s 3 main sections – Film Festival, Industry, and Academy, to clearly show the issues and problems in the production environment. There will be special exhibitions, including “Oblique Vision,” “Chronicle of Solidarity,” “Modern Korea Cinema.” There also will be non-theater screening and Palestine project- Some Strings, “Docs On Stage” combining concert and screening at outdoor theater and main theater, youth academy event – Youth Documentary Production Workshop, Joint Asia Youth Documentary Production, more specialized DMZ DocuRoad with funding from Reunification and Sharing Foundation, and “Short Docs Festival” at OTT platform. These programs and events will be a great opportunity to find the meaning of living in tough era, think about the joint responsibility, and bring up practical tasks to be done.

Visit the 16th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. 
Come to the film festival to share friendship, show solidarity, and act together.