“Damp Season,” a Shenzhen-set arthouse film directed by Shenzhen designer-turned-director Gao Ming, won the grand prize in the International Competition category of the 21st Jeonju International Film Festival (Jeonju IFF) in South Korea on Monday.

The director was also awarded 20 million South Korean won (US$16,322) in cash for his debut feature-length film. “As the world is in a sad mood caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the light of cinema gives us warmth and power. I hope theaters around the world will reopen soon and let’s embrace silver screens again,” said Gao in a video for the awards ceremony.

Produced by Factory Gate Films and Pokwai Pictures, “Damp Season” tells a story of four men and women set in an early summer when the humidity level shoots up causing major discomfort.

Gao takes the humid and hot weather typical in South China as a metaphor to describe the interweaving emotions between characters. When the film was premiered at the 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands in January, Gao explained that “In the damp season, the humid air condenses into droplets of water, as though everything is weeping. These are the most unbearable days of the year. The characters and props in the film are more like mental projections from my own heart.”

“Damp Season” was acclaimed as a “Southern Wave” film by European critics, as in recent years some Chinese arthouse movies set in South China have received positive responses. “The making of ‘Damp Season’ reflects how arthouse films have been growing in China. It’s more about Chinese filmmakers’ life experiences and a connection between filmmakers and their living areas. It is a dialogue between the director and his city,” said Gao.

Launched in 2000, the Jeonju IFF introduced independent and experimental films at the forefront to shine a spotlight on the alternative movements of contemporary film art. The International Competition section is a platform where filmmakers with their own visions and styles vie with each other and usually the first or second works of emerging filmmakers are invited.

This year, the festival director is producer Lee Joon-dong and from May 28 to September 20, the festival is being held both online and offline.

(Cao Zhen)