“UMFF Project” is Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival’s (UMFF) production support program, composed of two parts: UMFFsummit, a professional production initiative, and UMFFmentary, a documentary production support program for the general public.

Since its launch in 2015, UMFFsummit productions have premiered annually as world premieres, with several going on to receive awards at international mountain film festivals or theatrical releases in Korea.

This year, the lineup includes two feature films and three shorts. O Muel, a filmmaker from Jeju known for Jiseul and Pamir, returns with Norwegian Mackerel, a road movie about traveling in a camper van. The House Beyond the Stairs, a dramatized depiction of a Buddhist monk’s journey toward enlightenment, by Kim Jeon-han; TARA, a travel documentary by astrophotographer Ki-hyun, who returns to the Gurja region of Nepal to revisit the unforgettable stars he once saw in the Himalayas; The Wishes, a new short by Lee Ji-won who is known for her work from children’s perspectives; and End of Bardo, an experimental road movie featuring the journey of the deceased, all premier as world premieres.

UMFFmentary, a blend of “UMFF” and “documentary,” is a media education and production support program co-hosted by UMFF and the Ulsan Community Media Center. Each year the resulting films are presented at UMFF and later screened at other domestic film festivals. This year’s UMFFmentary program offers a valuable glimpse into the diverse lives and people of Ulsan through films such as Ulsan Vulture, which captures the yearly visit of a vulture chick migrating from Mongolia; Sori-Dream, the story of a girl striving to become a master pansori singer and the family supporting her; Forever Young, the life story of poet Kim Yu-rye, who debuted at age of 67 and continues her poetic journey at 86; and The Way I Love, a candid portrait of Ulsan singer-songwriter Gil Gi-pan.

― Jinna Lee, Programmer​