The 21st Mise-en-scene Shorts Film Festival concluded its four-day run on Monday, marking a triumphant return after a four-year hiatus. The festival, which has long served as a crucial launching platform for some of South Korea's most acclaimed filmmakers, showcased the latest and most innovative short films from the country's emerging directors. This year's edition screened 65 carefully selected films at CGV Yongsan IPark Mall, chosen from a record-breaking 1,891 submissions.
Established in 2002, the festival has earned its reputation as Korea's premier short film showcase, having launched the careers of renowned directors including Jang Jae-hyun ("Exhuma," "The Priests"), Um Tae-hwa ("Concrete Utopia"), and Na Hong-jin ("The Yellow Sea," "The Wailing"). After pausing operations in 2021 under former sponsor Amorepacific, the festival made its comeback this year with tech giant Naver stepping in as the new sponsor.
A distinguished panel of judges oversaw this year's competition, consisting of 10 directors and five actors who evaluated films across seven award categories. The jury was led by president Kim Sung-soo, director of "12.12: The Day," and included prominent actors Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Tae-ri, and Park Jung-min. The awards ceremony took place at Naver headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday.
Staying true to the festival's long-standing tradition, Kim Sung-soo described the judging process as deliberately subjective and highly opinionated. "True to our tradition, we never reached a consensus in any of the sections. The lengthy debates and discussions ended up taking over 12 hours," Kim revealed during the awards ceremony. He also expressed some disappointment with this year's overall quality of submissions.
"To be honest, the results were somewhat disappointing. We were hoping for fresh, ingenious, highly entertaining and tightly structured contemporary Korean films – bold, provocative works that leap out and make your heart race – but there weren't that many of them," Kim explained, adding that the festival plans to implement stricter selection criteria for next year's edition.
Despite his overall concerns, Kim highlighted one particularly promising trend among this year's entries: the exceptional quality of animated works. "Not only were [the animated works] full of personality, but they also showed a high level of craftsmanship. As jurors, we could really feel that the future of Korean animated films is very bright," he noted.
Consistent with many previous editions, no grand prize was awarded this year. The festival's grand prize is reserved exclusively for the best film winners in each category and requires unanimous approval from all jury members. This notoriously stringent process has resulted in only four grand prize winners being announced throughout the festival's 20-plus year history.
Instead, the festival's second-highest honor – the best film awards – were distributed across five distinct categories, each named after a landmark Korean film and distinguished by a unique color theme. "Those Who Leave Buy Flowers" claimed the top honor in the Take Care of My Cat section, which specifically highlights films addressing social issues. The romance category, Jealousy Is My Middle Name, was won by "Fake Lies," a unique story about a girlfriend who suddenly declares herself to be an alien.
In the comedy section known as Conduct Zero, "The Mountain Between Us" took the prize, while "Planet Spoilia" won in the horror and fantasy-focused Kidam category. The action and thriller category, Nowhere to Hide, was claimed by "The Cheat." Each category winner received a cash prize of 5 million won (approximately $3,500).
During his acceptance speech, Kim Keon-woo, director of the winning action-thriller "The Cheat," offered a sobering reflection on the current challenges facing Korea's film industry. "Especially now, it is very difficult for first-time directors to make their debut with a feature film, much like threading a needle. Of course, it's true that, statistically, it has actually become more difficult," Kim observed.
"I want to express my thanks to the invited directors who have given us hope and shown possibilities... They have shown us why we should not give up on filmmaking," he added, emphasizing the importance of perseverance in the face of industry challenges.
Additional recognition was given through specialized awards, with Lee Jung-hong receiving best cinematography for "Those Who Leave Buy Flowers." The acting honors went to Lee Hak-joo, who won best actor for his performance in "The Cheat," and Shim Hae-in, who earned best actress for "The Mountain Between Us." "Hansel: Two School Skirts" received the jury's special award, while "Blossom Graduation" took home the audience award, reflecting popular preference among festival attendees.
Following the main festival events, special programming will continue from November 15 to 21, featuring award-winning films from the 21st Mise-en-scene Shorts Film Festival alongside short works created by the festival's seven executive directors. These screenings will be accessible through Naver's Chzzk Channel for online viewing, with in-person screenings scheduled at Megabox Guui on November 15 and 16, providing additional opportunities for audiences to experience the festival's celebrated films.
