Byeon Wooseok to Mentor and Judge Independent Filmmakers in SIFF Short Film Project

By YoonSeon, Cho

Sep 24, 2025

Byeon Wooseok to Mentor and Judge Independent Filmmakers in SIFF Short Film Project



The Seoul Independent Film Festival 2025 will hold a public contest for the independent film production support project 'SIFF X Byun Woo-seok: Shorts on 2025' from October 10 (Fri) to 24 (Fri) for 15 days to support the passion of talented creators.

Recently, as the creative environment of Korean films and the way audiences participate have changed rapidly, there are growing calls to seek a new future for Korean films. In particular, the 51st Seoul Independent Film Festival featured a total of 1,805 films (1,590 short films and 215 full-length films), the largest ever, showing a different vitality from the downturn in commercial films. This shows that independent films, which are consistently created despite difficult conditions, are an important driving force behind the possibility of Korean films.

Byeon Wooseok to Mentor and Judge Independent Filmmakers in SIFF Short Film Project
In this trend, the Seoul Independent Film Festival begins a new production support project with the support of actor Byun Woo-seok. This attempt, in which actors who are widely loved by the public breathe directly with independent film creators and add strength to the creative ecosystem, has a special meaning to create the foundation of future Korean films together.




Actor Byun Woo-seok has been attracting attention for his soft appearance and delicate acting skills through his dramas 'When Flowers Bloom, Think of the Moon', 'Strong Girl Gangnam Soon', films '20th Century Girl', and 'Soulmate'. In particular, the drama 'Bounce with Sunjae' was greatly loved and impressed not only domestic but also foreign fans. Recently, he has been cast as the main character of the Netflix series 'I'm the Only One Levelling Up', showing an acting spectrum that does not discriminate between media and genres. The sponsorship of this project is expected to be a meaningful step to show Byun Woo-suk's willingness to support the possibilities of independent film creators along with his growth as an actor.

Byeon Wooseok to Mentor and Judge Independent Filmmakers in SIFF Short Film Project
Since 2009, the Seoul Independent Film Festival has consistently supported the creation of independent films through various programs such as production support, distribution support, and planning and development. This project will be effectively operated as a one-stop program that links the production, screening, and distribution of independent films based on experience.

The theme of the contest is 'Love', which selects up to three short films and provides a total of 30 million won in differential production costs. Actor Byun Woo-seok will participate in the final screening, which will include mentoring from entertainment and experts, and collaboration between executive producers. The completed work will be linked to screening and distribution through the Seoul Independent Film Festival.




'SIFF X Byun Woo-seok: Short on 2025' will be accepted from October 10 (Fri) to 24 (Fri) at 6 p.m., and the final selection will be announced at the 51st Seoul Independent Film Festival in 2025 after documentation and interview screening. Eligible applicants are creators who have experience directing short stories and write scenarios that fit the theme (love) and can be completed by August 2026. Acceptance is by e-mail (project@siff.kr) and Google Form, and detailed guidelines are provided on the official website of the Seoul Independent Film Festival (siff.kr).

Meanwhile, the Seoul Independent Film Festival 2025, the biggest cradle of Korean independent films, will be held from Nov. 27 (Thursday) to Dec. 5 (Friday).






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