We present a list of 8 Films worth watching at the 12th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival that is taking place from August 11th – 16th in Jecheon (South Korea).

Eddie Reynolds and the Iron Angels by Gustavo Moheno – Mexico | 2015 – 107 min.

U2’s Bono wants to cover a song of an almost forgotten Mexican rock band that has been dissolved for more than 30 years. The band reunites seeking fame and fortune, but old and new rivalries between Eddie, the vocalist, and Santos, the guitarist, break out, confounding the illusion that old wounds have been healed. When Bono cancels the deal, Eddie convinces the other band members to stay together and play once more, like in the old times. This film is a comedy about friendship, debauchery, second chances and about dreams that can come true… even 30 years later!

Trailer (will open in a new window)

Have a Song on Your Lips by Takahiro Miki – Japan | 2015 – 132 min.

Naka-Goto Junior High School is situated on an isolated island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Yuri Kashiwagi returns to her hometown for the first time in many years as a substitute for music teacher Mrs. Matsuyama who is taking maternity leave. The students are enthusiastic when they hear the beautiful Miss Kashiwagi was a renowned pianist in Tokyo. However, she has no intention of playing the piano for them. When Miss Kashiwagi grudgingly takes on the role of advisor to the choir, she assigns the students homework. ‘Write a letter to yourself 15 years in the future,’ in the hope that it will give them a deeper understanding of the set song.

Trailer (will open in a new window)

Life Is a Trumpet by Antonio Nuic – Croatia | 2015 – 93 min.

Life Is a Trumpet has an easygoing jazz musician as the husband, a butcher as his father, and two families of different backgrounds whose members are not as different as one might expect. This film is a star-studded comedy packed with feel-good humor, music, great performances, as well as some beautiful shots of Zagreb and its surroundings. It is a slightly ironic, but ultimately a sympathetic look at our need to create problems, and the skillful ways in which we overcome them.

Trailer (will open in a new window)

Losers by Ivailo Hristov – Bulgaria | 2015 – 97 min.

Elena, Koko, Patso and Gosho are high school students in a small town. Koko is in love with Elena, a girl who dreams to be a singer. She is excited about a visiting concert of a famous rock band. The event shakes up the town, which gives birth to new love affairs, disappointments and complicated relationship…

Trailer (will open in a new window)

Love Beats by Prachya Pinkaew – Thailand | 2016 – 117 min.

This is a story of various types of love with lively characters and Thai country music, a popular and well-known tune among Thais. The story shows us all emotions and feelings; fun, touching, warming, smiling, happy, sad and lonely because of love. The ‘country tune’ always surrounds us just like ‘love’ that never leaves heart.

Trailer (will open in a new window)

Low Down by Jeff Preiss – US | 2014 – 114 min.

Low Down, based on Amy-Jo Albany’s memoir of growing up in the care of her father, the bebop jazz pianist Joe Albany, focuses on the years 1974 to 1976. While Joe struggles to find gigs, maintain his heroin addiction, and stay out of jail, Amy grows up in a single-room occupancy hotel. Low Down locates cinematic soulfulness at the margins of society, where music, improvisation – and love – coalesce to form the raw materials for the stories.

Trailer (will open in a new window)

Mon-rak Transistor by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang – Thailand | 2002 – 121 min.

A pastoral love story between a young man and woman. The first half of 〈Mon-rak Transistor〉 is filled with lyrical scenes of Thailand’s pristine landscapes which presents itself as a blessed paradise. This paradise turns into a nightmare when Pan joins the army leaving the pregnant Sadaw behind. Pan wins second place in the military song contest, which inspires him to become a deserter and head for Bangkok to become a singer. Clearly, 〈Mon-rak Transistor〉 is a film about the conflicts between the country and the city. Exploited and miserable, Pan’s demise in the big city is depicted through the dark images of the night in contrast to the bright images of Pan’s life in the country. When Pan finally makes it on the stage, he wins the enthusiastic approval of the crowd. But his happiness is short-lived when he ends up murdering his gay boss who attempts to seduce him. The rich landscapes and the musical-like scenes enhance the conventional but insightful narrative that explores the extreme clash between tradition and modernity in contemporary Thailand. (Lee Sang-yong)

The Violin Player by Bauddhayan Mukherji – India | 2015 – 72 min.

The Violin Player is the story of a day in the life of a failed Bollywood session violinist whose life revolves around remarkable nothingness. Life, that day, throws a carrot at him and he ends up finding expression in an unlikely place. The day unfolds to reveal startling truths about music, art, life and survival. One day, one stranger, one request and one life-changing moment that makes everything else pale into insignificance.

Trailer (will open in a new window)

To know more about the festival you can see the FESTIVAL PROFILE or go to the official website to know all the screening times and dates HERE.

You may also find interesting to know which are the 10 Short Films and 8 Documentaries you cannot miss this year at the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival.