Critics' Choice
Introducing Critics' Choice, a new sidebar program launched in 2025 to foster vibrant critical discourse on contemporary Korean documentary. Curated by a committee of active critics and programmers, this section takes a unique look back at the year that was. Instead of seeking premieres, it showcases approximately ten of the most significant Korean documentaries—both features and shorts—released over the past twelve months, whether in theaters, at festivals, or on streaming platforms.
But the program's commitment to discourse extends beyond the selection itself. Critics' Choice will host public forums to interrogate key themes and controversies, while simultaneously building a critical archive of the year’s most important works and perspectives. To honor excellence within this field, one film chosen by the committee will receive the inaugural 'Critics' Choice Award (HANMAC Award)' at the festival’s closing ceremony.
For its inaugural edition, the selection committee has identified a defining current in recent Korean documentary: 'Essay’. The eleven selected films all exemplify this turn toward a more subjective and exploratory mode of practice—cinema that purposefully defies fixed structures in favor of associative storytelling, intellectual wandering, and border-crossing reflection.
Through screenings, talks, and lively debate, Critics' Choice invites audiences to join a collective reflection on where Korean documentary is now, and where it might be headed next.
