The fifth Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival (CinDi) opens today (Aug 17) with Hong Sang-soo’s The Day He Arrives.

The festival for innovative digital cinema will screen 100 films from 32 countries, including a surprise addition of Kim Ki-duk’s documentary Arirang.

Both The Day He Arrives and Arirang screened in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard earlier this year, the latter taking the section’s top prize. Due to the controversial nature of Arirang, this might be one of the rare occasions the film will be screened in its country of origin.

CinDi has selected 15 films for its Asian Competition of up-and-coming filmmakers. (Full line-up below.) The fest traditionally has six main awards with cash and distribution prizes given out by different juries. This year, Thai director Penek Ratanaruang, Singaporean director Eric Khoo, French film critic Alain Bergala, and Korean actress Ye Ji-Won are amongst the jury members.

While supporting new talent from around Asia, the festival also celebrates more mature filmmakers in sections such as the Digital Restoration section which this year will screen Kim Ki-young’s debut feature The Boxes of Death. The 1955 film was rediscovered earlier this year with the sound missing. So CinDi has arranged for top musicans led by Baik Hyun-jhin to perform live music for the screening.

The festival will also screen films from Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Aureaus Solito, Kevin MacDonald, Zhao Liang, Yuya Ishii and others. Masterclasses and workshops include one with Ian Christie, film scholar and vice president of Europa Cinemas, one with veteran director Im Kwon-taek and one with Sun Xun on contemporary Chinese animation.

CinDi runs Aug 17-23. The Closing Film will be the winner of the Red Chameleon award.

This year’s official festival trailer was directed by Cannes Palme d’or winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

Asian Competition line-up

Flying Fish Sanjeewa PUSHPAKUMARA (Sri Lanka)

Good Morning to the World Satoru (Japan)

Hurrahh! JUNG Jae-hoon (Korea)

Last Chestnuts ZHAO Ye (Japan)

Love Addiction Nobuteru UCHIDA (Japan)

Lumpinee Chira WICHAISUTHIKUL (Thailand)

Miners BAI Budan (China)

Mushrooms Vimukthi JAYASUNDARA (India/France)

Old Dog PEMA Tseden (China)

The Orion Zamani ESMATI (Iran)

Oxygen Sengedorj JANCHIVDORJ (Mongolia)

Prison and Paradise Daniel Rudi HARYANTO (Indonesia)

Shattered XU Tong (China)

The Sun Beaten Path SONTHAR Gyal (China)

Water Hands Vladimir TODOROVIC (Singapore/Serbia/Montenegro)

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