Poster for the 2026 UNICA Korea International Film Festival. [Gyeongsan City]
Poster for the 2026 UNICA Korea International Film Festival. [Gyeongsan City]

The city of Gyeongsan in North Gyeongsang Province announced Tuesday that the 2026 UNICA Korea International Film Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday at Cine Q's Daegu-Gyeongsan location.

UNICA is an international film organization under the UNESCO International Council of Cinema and Television (UNESCO C.I.C.T.), and has promoted filmmaking for peace and international cooperation since its founding in 1931.

The organization currently counts more than 40 countries as members. South Korea is the sole Asian member, represented by the nonprofit Making the World Beautiful Through Film, which serves as UNICA's Korean chapter.

This year's festival will screen 32 films from 23 countries, selected from 540 submissions representing 58 nations worldwide.

Awards will be presented in nine categories, including the top UNICA Prize, one gold award, two silver awards, three bronze awards, one jury special prize and one audience award.

The jury has drawn attention for its lineup of domestic and international film industry figures.

Choi Jae-won, a professor at Dong-A Broadcasting Arts University and former vice chairman of the Korean Film Council who produced the film "The Attorney," will serve as jury president. Film professionals from Italy, Germany and other countries will join Korean experts in evaluating entries for artistic merit and overall quality.

Organizing committee chair Yoo Young-eui said the festival aims to share with residents "the values of peace and coexistence that film conveys" in a city where the spirit of the Samseong-hyeon — three revered scholars of the Goryeo era — lives on. "I hope it becomes a time to understand one another and find peace of mind through great cinema," he added.

Gyeongsan Mayor Jo Hyeon-il said he hopes the festival will give residents "a wonderful opportunity to experience world-class cinema and enjoy culture and the arts," adding that he expects it to "raise Gyeongsan's profile as a city that connects with the world through culture and the arts."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com