Seoul’s International Pride Film Festival has opened with 116 queer films from 34 countries, bringing a wide-ranging programme to CGV Piccadilly1958 in Jongno. Running until 11 November, the event pairs acclaimed cinema with a French-Korean anniversary showcase, a filmmaking forum and a lively ballroom gathering.

Essential takeaways

  • A substantial programme: The 16th festival presents 116 films from 34 countries.
  • A historical opening film: Spanish feature Black Ball links three eras across roughly a century of modern history.
  • A French focus: Thirteen French-related films mark 140 years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France.
  • More than screenings: The programme also includes an international co-production forum and a Pride Ball.
  • Where to go: Screenings are taking place at CGV Piccadilly1958 in Jongno, Seoul, until 11 November.

A 116-film celebration opens in Jongno

A sold-out opening screening gave the festival an energetic start. The 16th Seoul International Pride Film Festival is presenting 116 films from 34 countries at CGV Piccadilly1958, making this year's programme a broad snapshot of queer filmmaking from around the world.

The opening-night gathering brought together festival organisers and international film guests. The event has now held a second edition in Jongno after moving from Myeongdong last year, giving the festival a familiar home base for its latest run.

Why Black Ball leads the programme

Spanish film Black Ball, which won the directing award at Cannes, was chosen as the opening feature. Its story moves across three periods in around a century of Spanish modern history, using a historical frame to explore questions often found in queer cinema, including identity, family conflict and social acceptance.

That wider historical sweep gives the film a different scale from a story focused on one character or moment. Festival programmer Kim Seung-hwan said the work stood out for extending familiar themes into a larger historical narrative.

French films mark a 140-year milestone

The festival's French programme celebrates 140 years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France. It includes seven feature films and six shorts, offering audiences a focused chance to explore French-connected stories alongside the wider international selection.

A forum on international co-production is also scheduled, with discussion centred on how filmmakers can work across national borders. It's a practical complement to the screenings: partnerships can help stories travel, while festivals give audiences a chance to encounter work they might not otherwise see.

The Pride Ball brings ballroom culture to the cinema

On 8 November, the festival is due to host a Pride Ball in the cinema's second auditorium. The event introduces ballroom culture through dance and fashion, inviting participants to express themselves in a space built around performance and style.

K, a father of the House of Ivy, is listed as a judge. For visitors, it offers a different kind of festival experience from sitting quietly in a darkened screening room, and a welcome reminder that queer culture is expressed through community as well as cinema.

Plan your festival visit

Alongside Black Ball, the programme includes titles such as Coward, Rose, Jim Queen and Downtown, as well as competition screenings and the Pride Film Project. With so many films on offer, checking the official festival schedule before setting out is a sensible way to avoid missing a screening that catches your eye.

The festival's scale is striking, especially given the organisers' acknowledgement that reduced funding made preparations more challenging. Still, a programme spanning 34 countries shows how much ground a dedicated festival can cover when it brings films, conversation and live culture together.

A little planning can turn a single screening into a full day of discovery.

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