The 22nd Jecheon International Music
& Film Festival
Announces Competition Juries
Including Kong RITHDEE,
MO Eunyoung, YOO Ji-tae, and KIM Taeseong
for New International Competition!
Jury Lineup Includes the Deputy Director of the Thai Film Archive,
the Director of the Korean Film Archive, Film Directors, Actors,
Film Composers, and a Cannes Programmer
Twelve Korean and International Film and Music Professionals
Join the Competition Juries
The 22nd Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (JIMFF), led by Executive Committee Chair CHANG Hangjun, has announced its 12-member Korean and international jury lineup for this year’s competition sections. The lineup includes Kong RITHDEE, Deputy Director of the Thai Film Arcive; MO Eunyoung, Director of the Korean Film Archive; directors LEE Wonsuk and LEE Jong-pil; actor and director YOO Ji-tae; and music director KIM Taeseong.
This year’s Official Competition at JIMFF comprises four sections: International Music Film Competition, International Competition, Music InSight, and New Talent SHOWBOX Awards. The former International Competition has been renamed International Music Film Competition, showcasing recent feature films that use music and sound as a central element of storytelling or as a formal foundation. The festival has also launched a new International Competition to present new films from around the world without restrictions on genre or subject. The revised structure reinforces JIMFF’s identity as a music film festival while broadening its engagement with contemporary world cinema.
▲ International Music Film Competition Jury
(from left): Kong RITHDEE, LEE Wonsuk, LEE Jong-pil
The International Music Film Competition showcases recent features that use music and sound as a central element for storytelling beyond national, genre, and formal boundaries. The international jury will select one winner from the lineup to receive a trophy and a KRW 15 million cash prize.
Kong RITHDEE, Deputy Director of the Thai Film Archive and a film critic, will serve as President of the Jury. He has written columns for the Bangkok Post and other publications, as well as screenplays for Thai feature films including The Island Funeral and The Cursed Land. He also directed Baby Arabia, a music documentary about a Muslim band in Thailand.
Director LEE Wonsuk first gained recognition when his 2004 short National Exercise received the NDIF Project Award at the Busan International Film Festival. He went on to direct How to Use Guys with Secret Tips, The Royal Tailor, and Killing Romance. Director LEE Jong-pil’s credits include the films The Sound of a Flower, Samjin Company English Class, Escape, and Pavane, as well as the series One Day Off. He received the Bechdelian Director Award in the Series category at Bechdel Day for One Day Off and the Best Director Award at the Seoul International Film Awards for Escape.
▲ International Competition Jury
(from left): MO Eunyoung, SON Sangbum, YOO Ji-tae
Launched this year, the International Competition showcases outstanding new films from around the world across all genres and subjects. The jury will select one winner from the lineup to receive a trophy and a KRW 10 million cash prize.
MO Eunyoung, Director of the Korean Film Archive, will serve as President of the Jury. She previously worked as a programmer for Cinematheque KOFA at the Korean Film Archive, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and the Seoul Indie-AniFest, and served as Festival Director of the Seoul Independent Film Festival. She has curated numerous interdisciplinary performances combining classic films with various artistic genres, including the live narration performance of Crossroad of Youngsters.
SON Sangbum, CEO of House of Impression, participated in the development and production of Kundo: Age of the Rampant, A Violent Prosecutor, and The Spy Gone North. Mask Girl, the debut project from House of Impression, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Series at the 29th Critics Choice Awards. YOO Ji-tae is a leading Korean actor who made his film debut in Bye June in 1998. His acting credits include Ditto, One Fine Spring Day, Oldboy, and The King’s Warden, while his directing credits include The Bike Boy, Invitation, and Mai Ratima.
▲ Music InSight Jury
(from left): Marie-Pauline MOLLARET, CHOI Gonne, Kiki FUNG
Established in 2025, Music InSight highlights the artistic value of work by established Korean film composers and explores the present and future potential of Korean film music. Open to Korean feature films produced in the previous year, the competition selects finalists through a vote by JIMFA alumni. An international jury then selects one film composer to receive a trophy and a KRW 15 million cash prize.
Marie-Pauline MOLLARET will serve as President of the Jury. A film critic and programmer, she is a member of the selection committee of the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. She has also worked for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, and the Paris International Animation Film Festival.
Singer-songwriter CHOI Gonne explores composition through music rooted in acoustic sound. Standing and Existing, which she helped plan and appeared in, won the Best Feature Film in the Korean Competition at the 18th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. Kiki FUNG is Programme Consultant for the Hong Kong International Film Festival and a member of the International Nomination Council for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. She previously served as Head Programmer for the Brisbane International Film Festival and the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival.
▲ New Talent SHOWBOX Awards Jury
(from left): KIM Taeseong, KIM Da-min, LIM Yeonjeong
The New Talent SHOWBOX Awards section is dedicated to discovering emerging film composers and showcasing creative and innovative film music. The jury will select one winner from among the finalists. The winning composer will receive a trophy and a KRW 10 million cash prize.
Music director KIM Taeseong will serve as President of the Jury. He has scored numerous films and series, including Exhuma, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, SKY Castle, and Teach You a Lesson. He won Best Music at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Svaha: The Sixth Finger, Best Music at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards for 1987: When the Day Comes, and the BIAF Music Award for Your Letter. Last year, he received the inaugural Music InSight Grand Prize at JIMFF.
KIM Damin is a writer-director who wrote and directed FAQ and wrote the series A Killer Paradox. She directed the upcoming Netflix series Dead-End Job. LIM Yeonjeong is CEO of LMTH, Korea’s only management company specializing in composers. She supports the company’s artists’ activities in Korea and abroad and works to protect creators’ rights.
The 22nd Jecheon International Music & Film Festival will run for six days, Sep 3(Thu)–Sep 8(Tue), at venues throughout Jecheon. Screenings will take place at Jecheon Culture Theater, Jecheon Film & Media Center Bom, and Salon de Yeobyeoncho; performance programs at Jecheon Arts Center OPEN & SUMMER SQUARE, in front of Jecheon Station, and in front of Uirimji History Museum; and the JIMFF Music Film Market at Haso Living Culture Center ‘Sanchaek’ and Yeobyeoncho Yard.
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