The 22nd Jecheon International Music Film Festival (JIMFF, Executive Director Jang Hang-jun) concluded its six-day run on September 8 with a closing ceremony held at 6 p.m. at the Jecheon Arts Center, where winners of the competitive sections were announced.

Hosted by broadcaster Song Eun-i and actor Yeri, the closing ceremony began with an opening performance, followed by a progress report, the graduation ceremony for the 21st Jecheon Film Music Academy, awards for the 2026 Jecheon Music Film Market and competitive sections, an introduction of the closing film, and the closing declaration.

The Grand Prize in the International Music Film Competition went to "The Man Without Loneliness" directed by Ticha Kovacs and Rainer Frimmel. The jury explained their selection, stating, "It is a lonely yet warm and restrained work that tells of dreams, hope, modernity, and the unwavering conviction of a man trying to hold onto a world that is inevitably fading away." The winner received a cash prize of 15 million won and a trophy.

Director Rainer Frimmel shared his deep impressions of tenor Choi Seung-won's performance of "My Way" at the opening ceremony, saying, "There were two unexpected things that happened upon coming to Jecheon. One was winning the award, and the other was hearing the best rendition of 'My Way' since Frank Sinatra."

The Grand Prize in the International Competition was awarded to "Gilgamesh's Dream" directed by Mohamed Al Daradji. Selected with unanimous support from the jury, who stated, "It is a work that contemplates life closest to where death lies and questions what must be protected until the end in order to exist as a human being," the film received a cash prize of 10 million won and a trophy. "Gilgamesh's Dream" was screened as the closing film of this year's festival.

Accepting the award on behalf of Director Mohamed Al Daradji, producer Ali Al Daradji shared his acceptance speech, saying, "The director and I discussed beforehand what we would talk about if we happened to win an award. The message we want to convey is dedicating this film to those who lost their lives to war and to all children around the world."

The Grand Prize for "Music Insight," the competitive section for Korean feature film music directors, was awarded to Music Director Kim Jun-seok for Kang Hyung-chul's film "High Five." The jury highly praised how music and songs built a world of imagination while enhancing the individuality and charm of each character as beats and rhythms guided the film. A cash prize of 15 million won and a trophy were awarded. Music Director Kim Jun-seok expressed his deep emotion, saying, "I want to thank my mother and eldest sister who are here today. I am grateful and happy that 'High Five' has been released, met audiences, and received this award."

The Showbox Grand Prize for "New Talent," the competitive section for rookie film music directors, was awarded to Music Director Cho Eun for director Yu So-young's documentary "Gongsun-i." The jury praised the musical completion, noting the bold choice to pare down music even in moments that seemed to require it, and maintaining a balanced emotion closely tied to the story and characters throughout a long-form feature. A cash prize of 10 million won and a trophy were awarded. Music Director Cho Eun stated, "Jecheon has been a special place that I have visited every year since participating as a student in the Jecheon Film Music Academy. I will take this award as encouragement and love sent to rookie music directors and continue to grow as a film music director."

The Jury's Special Mention was given to Music Director Choi So-ri for director Park Jung-soo's short film "Seoreul Damgo." The jury highlighted the musical creativity and freshness of naturally drawing traditional musical language and conventional rhythms into the work to closely intertwine with the narrative.

At the Jecheon Music Film Market, three projects in the post-production support (film music) category and two projects in the short film production support category were finalized.

In the feature film post-production support category, Director Kim Byung-soo, Producer Kim Kyung-hee, and Film Music Director Han Min-hee were selected for "Cheongchun Gilil" and will receive 8 million won in post-production support funds. In the short film category, Director Choi Yoon-seo, Producer Lee Joon-sang, and Film Music Director Kwon Soo-hyun for "Gulkkuk," along with Director Lee Seok-young, Producer Choi Joo-young, and Film Music Director Kim Soo-jung for "Daebonggam Banshi," were selected, each receiving 1 million won in post-production support funds.

Revived this year, the short film production support category selected directors Ko Yoon-hee and Park Geun-woo for "Dojang" and Director Lee Yoon for "Tune out," awarding them production support funds of 10 million won and 5 million won, respectively. The jury highly praised "Dojang," which deals with the pains of the times and lingering questions, and the animation "Tune out," which unfolds an abstract musical world based on reality, for demonstrating how music can contribute to films in different ways. In particular, they noted that both works showed distinct individuality not only in the meaning and value of the films themselves but also in the use of music.

During the festival, the Jecheon Music Film Market hosted 1:1 business meetings connecting film projects with film music directors, as well as public pitching sessions where film music directors proposed music concepts and working directions for each project, creating opportunities that led to actual creative collaborations.

The 22nd Jecheon International Music Film Festival took place across Jecheon for six days from September 3 to 8. This year, it met audiences by presenting a variety of programs, including 189 films from 51 countries, performances by 37 teams, film screenings, performances, talks, exhibitions, the Jecheon Film Music Academy, and the Jecheon Music Film Market.



(SBS Star News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)