We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who submitted their work to the 14th Diaspora Film Festival.

 

This year, we received 1,012 submissions from 73 countries. After a thorough evaluation by our four jurors, we are pleased to announce the final selection of 12 features and 30 shorts.

 

Diaspora Features

1)  〈Green Line〉(Sylvie BALLYOT)｜France, Qatar, Lebanon｜2024｜151′｜

2)  〈Living Euljiro〉(Liron SHALIT)｜Korea｜2025｜60′｜

3)  〈Drained by Dreams〉(SHEKH Al Mamun)｜Korea, Bangladesh｜2025｜84′｜

4)  〈Manok〉(LEE Yu-jin)｜Korea｜2025｜109′｜

5)  〈Beyond Now, Nyein〉(LIM Daecheong)｜Korea｜2025｜109′｜

6)  〈The Fin〉(PARK Syeyoung)｜Korea, Germany, Qatar｜2025｜83′｜

7)  〈100 Sunset〉(Kunsang KYIRONG)｜Canada｜2025｜99′｜

8)  〈Aisha Can't Fly Away〉(Morad MOSTAFA)｜Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Sudan｜2025｜120′｜

9)  〈Let It Stay Between Us〉(Maryam SHAPOORIAN)｜Iran｜2025｜62′｜

10)  〈Past Future Continuous〉(Firouzeh KHOSROVANI, Morteza AHMADVAND)｜Iran, Italy, Norway｜2025｜76′｜

11)  〈The New Jews〉(Amir Ovadia STEKLOV)｜Germany｜2025｜80′｜

12)  〈There Are No Words〉(Min Sook LEE)｜Canada｜2025｜98′｜

 

Diaspora Shorts

1)  〈A Method to the Airport〉(SEOK Jiyun)｜Korea｜2025｜8′｜

2)  〈Lingering Snow〉(JANG Taegun)｜Korea｜2026｜14′｜

3)  〈Retire〉(PARK Searm)｜Korea, Japan｜2026｜26′｜

4)  〈Ban Dal (Half-moon)〉(SIN Hae-Sup)｜Switzerland｜2026｜22′｜

5)  〈Inscribing the Body〉(GONG Jiseon)｜Korea｜2025｜18′｜

6)  〈CHECK PLEASE〉(CHUNG Shane)｜USA｜2024｜10′｜

7)  〈When Today Flows into Yesterday〉(JOO Daeun)｜Germany｜2025｜15′｜

8)  〈Hip Hip Hooray!〉(KIM Ju-one)｜Korea｜2026｜21′｜

9)  〈My Scarred Move〉(PARK Nayoung)｜Korea｜2025｜13′｜

10)  〈Nowhere, Somewhere〉(AN Huilin)｜Korea｜2026｜20′｜

11)  〈Asian Mart〉(PARK Yujeong)｜Korea｜2025｜24′｜

12)  〈Roaring Ashes〉(AN Yuri)｜Korea｜2025｜16′｜

13)  〈My Grandmother is a Skydiver〉(Polina PIDDUBNA)｜Germany｜2025｜13′｜

14)  〈Homeless Christmas〉(LEE Jaein)｜Korea｜2026｜30′｜

15)  〈A Little Regret in Helsinki〉(Haohao Qiaoshi LIU)｜Finland｜2025｜14′｜

16)  〈Alone in Tehran〉(Amen SAHRAEI)｜Iran｜2025｜14′｜

17)  〈BABY FAT〉(Margarita MINA)｜Philippines, USA｜2025｜11′｜

18)  〈Bora〉(LI Qian)｜China｜2025｜40′｜

19)  〈Collection Title : Turtle〉(Ehsan MAJOUNI)｜Iran｜2025｜13′｜

20)  〈Critical Condition〉(Mila ZHLUKTENKO)｜Germany｜2025｜24′｜

21)  〈Direct Recruitment〉(Amit KUMAR)｜India｜2025｜8′｜

22)  〈EXIT〉(LEE Yong Chao)｜Myanmar｜2025｜18′｜

23)  〈Last Rain on My Parade〉(Huu Thanh TRAN)｜Vietnam｜2025｜25′｜

24)  〈Like Friend, Like Deer〉(Malek EGHBALI)｜Iran｜2025｜13′｜

25)  〈Pasta Negra〉(Jorge THIELEN ARMAND)｜Canada, Venezuela, Italy, Colombia｜2025｜15′｜

26)  〈Sash Window〉(Mohammad HORMOZI)｜Iran, Spain｜2025｜14′｜

27)  〈Shortcut〉(Benjamín LEITER)｜Chile｜2024｜20′｜

28)  〈Travelling on the Night Tube, Thinking about Iced Lemon Tea, Less Sugar〉(Michael MUI)｜UK, Hong Kong｜2025｜13′｜

29)  〈Uncle Ali and I〉(Shahab MEHRABI)｜Sweden, Iran｜2026｜14′｜

30)  〈You in This City, This City inside You〉(Amartya RAY)｜India｜2025｜28′｜

 

Statement of Selection

Polyphony Beyond Boundaries: Encountering an Enchanting World

 

In the early 2000s, the discourse around cinema often centered on cinematic diversity—the coexistence of different forms and genres within film culture. Today, however, we have entered an era that demands a deeper, more rigorous contemplation of the existence of cinema itself. In a time marked by uncertainty across the world, the 1,012 works submitted to the 14th Diaspora Film Festival offered us renewed strength. Within them, we encountered a vibrant cinematic universe, alive with countless perspectives and stories. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the filmmakers from around the world who have created and recorded their own distinct universes.

 

This year’s submissions explored the diaspora experience through a diverse array of forms, traversing the boundaries of borders, languages, and memories. We witnessed firsthand the immense power inherent in the act of listening to the specific voices of others through film—how these voices converge to crack the dominant order and transcend established discourses. Most notably, these selected works did not merely dwell on the loss and anxiety of the displaced; instead, they turned their attention to the ongoing process through which identities are reimagined and reconstructed in new places. It was a great harvest and a joy to witness the interplay between the invaluable works of diaspora creators residing in Korea and the fresh perspectives of filmmakers abroad reflecting on Korea from afar.

 

The selection committee was also deeply moved by courageous documentaries that refused to turn away from the wars and violence unfolding across the world. In the face of armed conflict, these polyphonic voices of resistance reached us across borders. In such moments, the camera becomes both a record of life and a vital bridge that connects us to the world.

 

At the same time, works that deeply explored cinematic aesthetics and showcased the filmmakers' auteurial vision stood out. Moving fluidly between documentary, fiction, and experimental approaches, these films revealed a multilayered cinematic landscape that resists easy categorization. Rather than seeking to fully interpret this world, we chose to let ourselves drift within it—embracing the experience of encountering the unknown. It was, in every sense, an enchanting encounter.

 

Thanks to the filmmakers who struggle and create within their own intense fields of reality, speaking in their unique cinematic languages, we are reminded once again how cinema allows us to understand the lives of others and expand our sense of solidarity. We sincerely hope that the diverse expressions of diaspora will continue to unfold before us, forming an ever-expanding cinematic universe.

 

By Jury Members

PARK Joonho, JEONG Jihye, CHA Hanbi, Hyuksang Ksan LEE​