"No Need to Envy Theaters": Crowds Flock to Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival Despite Paid Screenings

【Financial News | Ulsan—Choi Su-sang, Reporter】 The 11th Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival (UMFF) has opened and begun its five-day run.
According to UMFF on the 20th, this year's festival will present 114 films from 35 countries around the world, including the opening film "K2 Chasing Shadows."
At the festival grounds around the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcome Center in Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju County, Ulsan, films will be screened 24 hours a day for five days through the 22nd. A range of hands-on activities and other attractions will also be available.
As on the previous weekend, hiking and film enthusiasts, along with families, began arriving in the morning. The venue was bustling, and even in the middle of the day, lines formed outside the main UMFF Cinema, the outdoor "Hill Theater," and the tent screening venues.



The festival's side-event areas, including slacklining, bubble play, stargazing, sound walks, and pet-rock making, were also busy throughout the day.
The food market, featuring Ulsan restaurants known for generous portions and excellent taste, was also popular, with long lines forming at the stalls. A visitor who said he had come from Seoul said, "We were able to enjoy delicious food at affordable prices without being overcharged. We could feel the warmth of the people of Ulsan."
At the opening ceremony held on the 18th, master Korean filmmaker Bae Chang-ho, Jeong Jun-ho, co-executive director of the Jeonju International Film Festival and a veteran actor, as well as actors Sunwoo Yong-nyeo, Jung Il-woo, Seo Jun-young, and Park Ho-san, attended to celebrate the festival.
Miriam Možgan, Slovenia's ambassador-designate to South Korea, Blasi Veber, head of the Bled Tourist Board, and directors Barbora Hollan and Petra Seliškar, who directed films screened this year, also attended. Slovenia is this year's guest country.
The 2026 Ulsan Ulju World Mountain Culture Award (UMCA) was presented to writer and researcher Bernadette McDonald, who has spent more than 40 years documenting the mountains and the lives and stories of mountaineers.
[email protected] Choi Su-sang Reporter