We present the films that will be screened at the International Competition of the 18th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival, which will take place from August 11 – 16, 2022 in Jecheon, South Korea.

A coming of age story about Florida’s most dedicated dance team for women over 60, Calendar Girls is a dance documentary that shakes up the outdated image of “the old lady” and shows the deep human need for creativity and friendship.​ (JIMFF 2022)

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This inspiring, generational music documentary explores the birth and rise of techno music through the eyes of one of its pioneers: acclaimed French DJ Laurent Garnier. Through never-before-seen archive images and footage of Laurent’s recent world tour, you will experience a remarkably intimate portrait of a passionate trailblazer who followed his passion against all odds and eventually helped make a musical, social and political revolution happen. It is also a celebration of the ineffable collective music experience. (JIMFF 2022)

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Omar is a promising young musician. Separated from his Syrian family, he is stuck on a remote Scottish island awaiting the fate of his asylum request. Due to the plaster cast on his arm, Omar cannot play his sound and instead wanders the epic landscapes searching for answers to a complex past and daunting future. He may be stuck, but he is not alone. Omar and his new flatmates attend outrageously misjudged “cultural awareness” classes, hosted by eccentric locals.​ (JIMFF 2022)

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Look at Me: XXXTentacion explores how Florida teenager Jahseh Onfroy became SoundCloud rapper XXXTentacion, one of the most streamed artists on the planet. Through frank commentary from family, friends, and romantic partners, and unseen archival footage, director Sabaah Folayan offers a sensitive portrayal of an artist whose acts of violence, raw musical talent, and open struggles with mental health left an indelible mark on his generation before his death at the age of 20.​ (JIMFF 2022)

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Nothing Compares is the story of Sinéad O’Connor’s phenomenal rise to worldwide fame and how her iconoclastic personality resulted in her exile from the pop mainstream. Focusing on her prophetic words and deeds from 1987-1993, the film reflects on the legacy of this fearless trailblazer through a contemporary feminist lens. (JIMFF 2022)

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An urban drama about Kamil, a wannabe-rapper who should be getting his life and career going but instead gets high, roams around the city, and starts an affair with a bored, rich housewife Iwona, who feels invisible in her marriage and looks for oblivion and ease by taking uncontrolled doses of antidepressants. It’s a polyphonic story about isolated people dreaming of love in the big city. Based on a best-selling novel by cult Polish author Dorota Masłowska. (JIMFF 2022)

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Wallflower Lennon Gates yearns for access to the inner sanctum of the underground music scene in Columbus, Ohio. When she creates a podcast to interview the local artists she adores, Lennon discovers her own musical ambitions, develops a fast friendship with the striking, confident performer Bobbi Kitten, and in the process creates an identity not wholly her own. Soon, Lennon’s aspirations, with some constructive coaxing from Bobbi to find her voice, lead her down a path of dark obsession.​ (JIMFF 2022)

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Raylene ‘Red’ Delaney is a vivacious but, at times, misguided redhead, who pours herself a cup of ambition and trades her nine to five career in real estate for a life under the spotlight as a Dolly Parton impersonator. (JIMFF 2022)

On the outskirts of Beirut, Lilas and her thrash metal bandmates, Shery, Maya, Alma, and Tatyana, have big dreams but few opportunities. When the band’s appearance at a UK music festival isn’t the life-changer they had hoped for, Lilas comes home to Lebanon on the brink of collapse. At the same time, the complicated friendship between Lilas and her fellow guitarist Shery starts to fracture. The future of her band, her country, and her dreams are now all at stake, and Lilas faces a crossroads. (JIMFF 2022)

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Asano Taigi is a member of the brass band club of Funabashi Municipal High School. He takes up the challenge of writing an original cheering song for the baseball team of Ichifuna. Although difficulties with composition, he creates the legendary cheering song, Ichifuna Soul This goes on to be called the “god-like cheering song.” After graduating from high school, one day, Taigi experienced acute pain and sickness. His test results reveal that his body is being attacked by cancer… (JIMFF 2022)

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Manu fell in love with the pianist Stella when he was a child and it’s been his dream to meet her ever since. To achieve his dream he follows the advice of Stefano, a shady character who becomes his manager and forms a band. But, not just an energetic dreamer, Manu is an outsider with problems finding his place in society. That’s clear by the instrument he’s chosen – none other than the broom – that he uses to make music and carry the rhythm. (JIMFF 2022)

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The former frontman of the once-loved rock band Zhiguli, Fori, now writes pop-folk songs with disgust. After a fight with one of the singers, he stupidly leaves the band. A wealthy, loyal fan of Fori​, offers him a hefty paycheck if his favorite band from his youth – Zhiguli – plays at his 50th anniversary. This offer fully motivates Fori​ to bring back the band that once fell apart. He discovers that none of the members live their dreamy lives.  (JIMFF 2022)

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For more information, please visit: https://www.jimff.org/