After opening its doors on April 28, 2022, the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival gave pride of place to French cinema this year, with its closing ceremony held on May 7.
After holding hybrid events in 2020 and 2021, this festival held in the capital of the North Jeolla province of South Korea, was able to offer an in-person event this year, with the entire city decked out to celebrate the festival.
Considered as one of the country's most prestigious film festivals, particularly for independent and experimental films, and a major international meeting place for industry professionals, the Jeonju IFF presented 217 films this year in its various festival sections: the International Competition, Korean Competition, World Cinema, Masters, Midnight Cinema, among others, as well as programs dedicated to short films and alternative cinematic formats.
A special program was also held to celebrate the master filmmaker Kor Lee Chang-dong, with the presentation of the French documentary Lee Chang-Dong, un art de l'ironie (Lee Chang-Dong, an art of irony), directed by Alain Mazars.
With 23 French productions showcased at the event, including 14 majority-French productions, France was represented by one fifth of all international films in the festival's selection. Unifrance provided travel support for the attendance of director Éric Baudelaire, along with his lead actor Oxmo Puccino, to introduce their film A Flower in the Mouth, as well as the attendance of director Éric Gravel, whose film Full Time was screened at the closing ceremony.
