20 Must-see films from the 27th Jeonju International Film Festival (Part 1)

By Asian Film Festival on April 28, 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

These are twenty films you shouldn’t miss at the Jeonju International Film Festival, which will take place from April 29 until May 8, 2026, in Jeonju, South Korea.

Note: Screening dates and times were sourced from the official website. For updates, please visit: https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/

A Foggy Tale by CHEN Yu-Hsun – Taiwan | 2025 – 134 minutes | Korean Premiere
Section: Frontline

Yue’s brother is executed, and she travels to Taipei alone to retrieve his body. She narrowly escapes human trafficking and is saved by Kung-tao, a discharged soldier. Despite their poverty, they form an unlikely friendship and embark on a perilous journey to ensure her brother’s proper burial. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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AnyMart by IWASAKI Yusuke – Japan | 2025 – 89 minutes | Korean Premiere
Section: Midnight Cinema

Sakai, the protagonist, works as an assistant manager at a local convenience store. Outside of work, he lives a quiet, routine life—playing online games and using dating apps—having spent most of his twenties tied to the store. The store is his entire world. And yet, beyond its doors, the world itself seems to be coming to an end. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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Blonde by SAKASHITA Yuichiro – Japan | 2025 – 103 minutes | Korean Premiere
Section: Cinema Fest

“Blonde Demonstration,” a student protest against strict school rules at a junior high school, quickly spread through social media and even the prime minister took action! A teacher was ordered to settle the incidents, who still considers himself as a young man but forced to accept the fact when he faces students whose mental age is much older than he imagined. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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Dark Beginnings by MUN Jeonghyun –Korea | 2026 – 121 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Cinema

In December 2024, the 20th President of the Republic of Korea declared emergency martial law. Korean society has once again split into left and right, engaging in extreme hatred and violence. I wanted to explore this sentiment of hatred that is pervasive throughout our society. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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Early Spring by CHOI Su-bin – Korea | 2025 – 64 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Competition

After failing her studies abroad, Minsu returns to Korea after ten years to sell her family house. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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Feeling by JUNG Hyungsuk – Korea | 2026 – 101 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Cinema

After losing his son in the Itaewon disaster, taxi driver Seongjun endures a numb, hollow routine, estranged from his wife as well. Then, an unexpected connection with Min-ah, an aspiring actress, begins to gently unsettle his tightly closed heart, and ultimately breathes life back into the part of him that had stopped living. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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Halo by ROH Youngwan – Korea | 2025 – 107 minutes | Korean Premiere
Section: Korean Cinema

The story of Min-joon, a 27-year-old delivery driver searching for a light of hope. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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Ideal and Weird Family by KIM Jihyun – Korea | 2026 – 101 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Cinema

Daseon and Heesoo, a lesbian couple, decide to divorce. As their two children struggle to choose which mother to live with, the family sets out on an unexpected trip together. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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INSOMNIA by SO Seongseop – Korea | 2026 – 67 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Competition

Newlyweds Do-yul and Ji-hye lose their life savings to a “jeonse” rental scam. Amidst the ruins, they learn a baby is on the way. When their landlord suggests passing the lease to another victim to recover their money, the couple faces a brutal choice: remain ruined, or survive by ruining an innocent stranger. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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Left Behind by Jéro YUN – Korea | 2026 – 80 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Cinema

One summer, the siblings reunite with their family after a long time. But as conflicts surrounding their father rise to the surface, the fractures between them become visible, and the family slowly begins to show signs of collapse. (JeonjuIFF 2026)

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