Young Poong Continues 'Cine Forest' for Third Year... Seokpo Middle School Students Produce Their Third Film

[Financial News] Young Poong's short film production project for students at Seokpo Middle School in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province has entered its third year. This year, participants from earlier cohorts have rejoined the production, creating a virtuous cycle in which older students work alongside younger ones.
Young Poong said on the 25th that more than 30 people, including participants, mentors and staff from the third Cine Forest Seokpo Short Film Class, carried out principal photography for the short film "Offline Road" from the 10th to the 14th in the Seokpo-myeon area of Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province. Cine Forest is a youth film production project sponsored by the Yeongpoong Seokpo Smelter and organized by Leon Pictures.
The biggest feature of this year's project is the return of earlier participants. Along with 13 newly selected third-cohort students, five alumni from Seokpo Middle School rejoined the production: Kim Seo-yeon from the first cohort, and Hyun Sang-woo, Choi Yoon-ji, Cha Jeong-hye and Kwon Yu-na from the second cohort.
The project is evolving beyond a one-time experience into a structure where students who once took part return to share their creative experience with younger participants.
The film was produced with teenagers taking the lead in directing and crew roles. Lee Sung-ho, CEO of Leon Pictures and producer of the film "Beyond That Mountain," joined as a mentor along with director Seo Hong-seok and cinematographer Kim Jeong-cheol, among other working film professionals, to support the students throughout production.
Kwon Hee-yeon, who has served as a Seokpo Middle School teacher for the past three years, also took part, along with dedicated production staff including sound and music director Lee Yeon, helping raise the overall quality of the work.
The third-cohort film, "Offline Road," tells the story of two friends who had been absorbed in smartphones and social media and had stopped paying attention to each other. On a mountain road where communications are cut off, they rediscover nature and each other's presence.
Since its launch in 2024, Cine Forest has also been achieving results at film festivals in Korea and abroad. The first-cohort film, "Smile Without Makeup," won an excellence award in the 13- to 18-year-old category at the 16th International Youth Peace and Humanism Video Contest. It also received a Highly Commended Award at Australia's SF3 SmartFone Flick Fest (SF3).
The second-cohort film, "At That House That Night," which was released earlier this year, has also been submitted to film festivals at home and abroad. The first- and second-cohort films were exhibited and screened at the Youngpoong Bookstore booth at the Seoul International Garden Show on the 1st, reaching audiences beyond the Seokpo region.
A Young Poong official said, "As the short film project has continued over multiple rounds, a virtuous cycle has taken root in which students from earlier cohorts return as seniors and peers," adding, "We will continue to provide steady support so that local teenagers can fully develop their abilities on their own."
Meanwhile, the third-cohort film, which has completed principal photography, will go through post-production before being unveiled at a village screening and through official channels. It is also planned for submission to domestic and international film festivals, just like the first- and second-cohort films.
[email protected] Lee Dong-hyuk Reporter