The Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF), North Korea's only international film festival, has resumed after six years since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Korean Central News Agency said on the 23rd that the 18th PIFF opened on the 22nd at the Pyongyang International Cinema House. The festival had been indefinitely suspended after the 17th edition in fall 2019 and is being held again after six years.
Launched in 1987, PIFF is one of the few official channels in North Korea to see foreign films. However, the ban established in 1987 on submissions and screenings of Japanese, South Korean, and U.S. films remains in place.
This year's festival received 92 entries from countries including Indonesia, Poland, and Mexico, with 11 selected as nominees. Indian films, which are popular in North Korea, were not included this time.
The screenings appear set to focus on works with strong regime propaganda tones, such as North Korea's new propaganda film "Day and Night" and "72 Hours," which is set during the Korean War.
Ri Song, Chairperson of the National Film Bureau and Chairperson of the festival's organizing committee, said in an opening speech, "This festival will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of good-neighborly friendship and amity between progressive countries around the world and filmmakers under the idea of independence, peace, and friendship."
At the festival, Russian filmmaker Director Sergey Tyutin is serving as Chairperson of the international jury.
After the opening ceremony, participants watched "Red Silk," a co-produced art film by Russia and China.
North Korea has recently been putting effort into tourism by resuming international events. In Apr., it held the Pyongyang International Marathon again after six years, and in Jul., it opened the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone to attract foreign tourists.
However, North Korea is still not fully open to tourism, allowing visits only for those attending events. Analysts say this is because concerns over quarantine related to COVID-19 and other issues have not been completely resolved.