20 Short Films you cannot miss at the 21st Seoul International Women’s Film Festival

By Asian Film Festival on August 12, 2019 • ( Leave a comment )

We present a list of twenty short films you shouldn’t miss at the 21st Seoul International Women’s Film Festival which will take place from August 30th until September 5th (2019) in Seoul, South Korea.

About the festival:
Since its inception of 1997, SIWFF has tried to live up to its slogan, “See the World through Women’s Eyes,” by focusing on the discovery of female cineastes and secured its position as a hub of women’s film network as well as one of renowned international women’s film festivals.

Opening a new chapter, SIWFF prepares for making a new leap forward based on the 20-year progress. The slogan “20+1, Faces Breaking Down the Walls” holds the festival’s commitment for the next ten years. This year SIWFF has changed its period and venue from spring to summer and from Sinchon to Sangam. There are full of freshness in the program.

In the 21st edition, SIWFF presents 119 films from 31 countries. There are four competition sections thanks to last year’s addition of International Competition and Korean Competition. The number of submitted films is a record high this year. Significant progress has been witnessed in terms of the diversity of subject matters and the quality of films.

Recommended Films:

And What Is the Summer Saying by Payal Kapadia – India | 2018 – 20 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts Competition

Namdeo has learnt to live off the forest from his father. He stares at the treetops, searching for honey. The wind blows and afternoon descends on the small village by the jungle. Women of the village, whisper little secrets of their lost loves. Never seen, and only heard. A strange smoke emits from the ground, like a dream of a time gone by.

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Between Us by Ryu Yeonsu – Korea | 2019 – 17 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts Competition

Eunseo bumps into her schoolmate Jiwon at a public study room.

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Call If You Need Me by Lim Ohjeong – Korea | 2018 – 29 minutes
Section: New Currents

Woo-hee lives her life like a solitary island until her hometown friend Young-shin, who has been in contact for a while, visits her house. Their sudden reunion stays longer than expected, but ends up unexpectedly short.

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Ca$h by Tan Wei Ting – Singapore | 2018 – 12 minutes
Section: Asian Short Competition

Four cashier ladies stage a revolt by locking themselves inside the supermarket late at night in protest at the prospect of losing their jobs to a cashless system. As the night unfurls and negotiations are made, the group of friends share their anxieties of an uncertain future.

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Cut-out by Kim Jihyung, Han Jihee, Gong Seonjeong, Han Dahye – Korea | 2018 – 5 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts Competition

Whose voice is the voice we are hearing in our surroundings today?

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Freckles by Kim Jihee – Korea | 2019 – 27 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts Competition

Overweight teenager Youngshin is forced to join a weight loss camp. After kissing her roommate Joohee, the boring camp suddenly changes completely.

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Get it beauty by Lee Yeseung – Korea | 2018 – 18 minutes
Section: I-Teens Competition

Chubby girl Areum joins a weight-loss club by accident. She gets confused when club leader Dohyun seems to like her. She gets butterflies in her stomach for the first time.

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Late Night, Going Home by Keum Jungyun – Korea | 2018 – 10 minutes
Section: I-Teens Competition

Late at night, Jane comes home alone after finishing studying at school. She can feel someone following her.

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LingLing by Yoon Dayoung – Korea | 2019 – 24 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts Competition

Jina happened to find the name Ling Ling in her dad’s notebook and suspects he is having an affair with someone. She starts having doubts about his behavior and wants to stop her family from falling apart, but a storm is coming.

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Memoir by Park Kyueun – Korea | 2019 – 20 minutes
Section: I-Teens Competition

Runaway teenager Eungyu struggles to earn a living with her part-time job, and after failing to receive the salary she worked hard for, she steals cigarettes in anger. After being arrested Eungyu is taken to the police station, where she meets Seokhwan for the first time in 2 years. Eungyu believed that Seokhwan wouldn’t be as terrible as other adults in her life, but after talking with him she realizes she is mistaken.

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Moment by Lee Daeun – Korea | 2019 – 8 minutes
Section: I-Teens Competition

Seojin is indifferent to the world. On a late night, she encounters Eugene in an elevator who presses the buttons for every floor. Seojin responds by deselecting them, and Eugene is perplexed and stares at her silently. The next day, Seojin sees an act of violence on the 5th floor, and discovers the victim is Eugene. When they meet again in the elevator the following night, Seojin asks a caring question to Eugene.

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My Dream by Yoo Haeun – Korea | 2019 – 22 minutes
Section: I-Teens Competition

I am a sophomore at Ganghwa Girls’ High School. I dream of becoming a filmmaker but as my school doesn’t specialize in the arts and I live in a dormitory, I can’t study films because I have to study school subjects until 1am. I know other friends with similar dreams have difficulties in their own way. We look for ways to study films by registering with an academy in Seoul that’s 2 hours away from home, or by making a film as a club activity. We do what we can do.

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Pointer by Lim Sora – Korea | 2019 – 15 minutes
Section: Polemics Shorts – Sexual Politics of ‘Room’

Hyunjeong is searching for something, and with her list of public bathrooms she sets out to find it.

Protection by Kim Hagyeong, Park Jueun, Yun Goun – Korea | 2018 – 6 minutes
Section: Feminist Activism Workshop

A daughter returns from a long journey in shambles, and falls asleep in her mother’s carefully tended to flowers. Just as her mother is wondering about what color her daughter’s hair might be and what clothes she’ll be wearing, a customer enters. As the mother cuts and washes the customer’s hair, the customer catches a glimpse of the sleeping daughter. Instead of leaving right after the haircut, the customer takes a photo of the flowers, and the daughter too. The mother goes to the same position as the customer, and finds her daughter. Then the mother cuts her daughter’s hair in the empty salon.

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Proxy Exam by Kim Nakyung – Korea | 2019 – 17 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts Competition

As the daughter of a North Korean defector, Hyunjoo is stateless. Without an ID, she can’t go to school nor do anything ordinary that a teenager would do. Unable to even attend her favorite idol’s fan meeting, Hyunjoo decides to borrow Joohee’s identity in exchange for taking a proxy exam.

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The Funeral of the Deceased by Hong Seokyoung – Korea | 2019 – 33 minutes
Section: Polemics – Sexual Politics of ‘Room’

Doe prepares a funeral service for Minyoung. As a sexual assault survivor, Minyoung has a funeral service in order for her to be reborn as Doe. Furthermore, lawyers, police officers and professors discuss the myths surrounding victims in society, completing the video exhibition. To the public, the film poses whether we should be more vigilant to such issues.

The Rented Room by Hwang Jieun – Korea | 2019 – 24 minutes
Section: Polemics – Sexual Politics of ‘Room’

Peace can’t solve everything, but that doesn’t make a person a monster. One day, a neighboring woman is murdered, and Jieun is the only witness. Jieun discovers the murdered woman’s lipstick as it falls from the landlord’ (JIN Mingi) pocket, and she pursues the two men. Should you fight, or run away? A shocking start to this tale begins in a secret room.

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The Scribble by Jeong Dasol, You Seungyeon – Korea | 2018 – 8 minutes
Section: Feminist Activism Workshop

A high school student spends every day studying for final exams, just like every other student. Then, one weekend, a large corporation takes a test at Seungyeon’s school, and the next day she finds an unpleasant message scribbled on her desk.

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The Summer of 12 by Kuo Kuan-Ling – Taiwan | 2019 – 25 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts Competition

On just another day training in the pool for the young members of the swimming team, the cusp of early puberty threatens to turn innocent friendship and camaraderie into something much more. Sixth-grader Yuhsuan has a closely guarded secret, but this tide of feelings inside is brewing into a storm.

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Woman Is the Future of Woman by Roh Helena, Yu Hyemin, Shin Hyein – Korea | 2018 – 22 minutes
Section: Feminist Activism Workshop

Heejin, who is a feminist activist in university, has a part-time job in interpreting and is about to graduate. Jinyoung, an older office worker, comes to Seoul on business for the first time since he started working. Can two people who have lived very different lives manage to have a good work trip?

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