Internet film-fest opens in Seoul

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) — Seoul Net Festival, an annual event that presents films on both the Internet and in theaters, opened Monday via its Web site, offering 137 experimental works from 22 countries.

The festival, now in its seventh year, started screening the films at www.senef.net at 12 p.m. (Seoul time), where they will continue to run until Wednesday.

From Sept. 15-17, critically acclaimed and award-winning films will be screened in theaters in Jongno, central Seoul. The films will also be available on mobile phones and satellite-based digital multimedia broadcasting from Sept. 8-30.

Films presented this year are broader in terms of genre than in previous years, said organizers, who hope to raise the festival’s profile.

"As well as peculiar and experimental films shown in previous years, there are a broad range of films this year, from movies on football to horror, Bollywood and erotic movies, using popular themes," programming organizer Lee Kang-ok said.

The fest offers 56 films in its international competition section "Digital Express," which evaluates originality and visual experiment. They include "Can You Go Through?" by Joo Young-ban, a unique 3D animation, "A Day Out," by Lee Jong-yoon, a film on sexual violence in the Korean military, "All People Is Plastic" by Harald Hund of Australia and "Heavy Metal Drummer" by Luke Morris and Toby MacDonald of Morocco.

The festival presents 33 works by up-and-coming artists in the domestic competition section, and 48 works in the non-competition section.

hkim@yna.co.kr
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Source: http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20060515/670000000020060515120028E4.html