'Hwaseong Village Film Festival' Opens on September 5 at Closed Seosin Elementary School Jebu Branch Campus

Hwaseong Special City (Mayor Jung Myeong-geun) announced that the "3rd Hwaseong Village Film Festival," where the living spaces of citizens building a one-million population city become cinemas and ordinary citizens become the protagonists, will be held from September 5 to 6 at the athletic field of Seosin Elementary School's Jebu Branch Campus on Jebu Island.

The Hwaseong Village Film Festival began in 2024 to reflect on the values of people, relationships, and community that are easily forgotten as cities grow, through the medium of film.

This year's festival has transformed the athletic field of Seosin Elementary School's Jebu Branch Campus—which closed due to declining student numbers—into a village cinema, allowing island residents and tourists to enjoy films together under the starlight. With the theme "Island-Seeing Village Cinema," it aims to view the familiar Jebu Island anew through the window of film and fill the empty space with people and stories.

The screenings feature a total of 10 films: citizen-produced films directly made by Hwaseong's youth, teenagers, and activists, as well as external invited works selected by citizen programmers. In addition to film screenings, experience booths where citizens can participate will be operated, and director-audience dialogue sessions (G.V.) will be arranged.

To organize the festival, since March, centered on the citizen group Global-Local Content Exchange Association, Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Content Agency, Hwaseong-Osan Office of Education, Hwaseong Sustainable Development Council, Seosin-myeon Residents' Autonomous Committee, and Jeburi Village Association have collaborated in preparation.

The festival is open for participation by any Hwaseong citizen. Particularly this year, it is linked with Hwaseong City's City Tour Good Travel Day (Sunset and Day Course), allowing visitors to enjoy both the festival and local tourism. On September 5 afternoon, visitors can tour the Songsan Grape Festival and then watch films on Jebu Island in the evening.