The Spotlight program welcomes emerging directors to Vancouver and deepens the long tradition of Korean cinema as a cornerstone of VIFF programming.
As one of the first North American festivals to introduce audiences to Bong Joon-ho, Lee Changdong, and Hong Sangsoo, VIFF is thrilled to continue our rich tradition of platforming the exciting new filmmakers emerging from South Korea. Part of our multifaceted Spotlight on Korea: The New Breed highlights six debut features (three of them world premieres) by rising talents who are at the precipice of international recognition.
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Savon
This sleek, polished, jet-black comedy-thriller tells the story of Jae-in, an aspiring actress who gets in a sticky situation with her boyfriend, only to discover a soap company with a side service cleaning up bigger-than-average messes.
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Wrangler
Two sisters face each other down over the course of this tense, mysterious psychological thriller. Hayoung is trainer of violent rescue dogs; Sora is fresh out of prison. Their reacquaintance will lead to a violent, cathartic climax.
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3670
Park Joon Ho's fascinating, deeply poignant film tells the story of a gay North Korean defector adjusting to life in Seoul. The writer-director walks a fine line: his film is humane enough to avoid cynicism and honest enough to reject false uplift.
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Sua's Home
In this darkly compelling drama, an orphaned tennis player is forced to be as competitive at home as she is on the court. Chosen to be the live-in trainer of a wealthy girl, teenage Young-sun soon finds herself caught up in deceit and manipulation.
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Winter Light
Da-bin has a broke mother, a runaway brother, and a sister who’s going deaf, but gets by thanks to his best friend and caring girlfriend. Poignant and poetic, this is a film that explores the pain of adolescence and the stress of competing loyalties.
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The Nonsense
Insurance investigator Yoo-na is working a case of death by drowning; her company claims suicide, but the truth is unclear. Confronting an eccentric beneficiary with great powers of persuasion, Yoo-na finds herself in a fog of doubt and suspicion.
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