On Friday, November 24th, at the NTT Credo Hall No.1, screening of three films from the International Short Film Competition B was held followed by a talk show with the directors.

The films screened were "Fisher Boy," directed by NAM Dong-Hyun from South Korea, "Graveyard of Horses," directed by Xiaoxuan JIANG from China, and "La Magistral," directed by NARUSE Miyaka from Japan. Following the screening, there was a director's talk session facilitated by Ms. TAMURA Yuri, an announcer from RCC Broadcasting Co.,Ltd..

Director NAM Dong-Hyun's film "Fisher Boy" portrays a story about a boy left home alone who was told to fetch water by his mother. However, every time the boy encounters something, the water he's collected gradually diminishes until it finally runs out... that's the essence of the narrative.

Director revealed that he often purchased drinking water and this led him to contemplate what would happen if a child carried that heavy 2-liter bottle. This contemplation sparked the idea for the film. He dedicated significant effort to depict the emotions and vitality of the child.

Regarding future projects, he expressed a desire to portray elderly, stating, "Observing my father, who is now older than 60, I felt an inclination to depict those men from that generation. Though you might find they have many faults, you also might project your emotions onto them."

Director NARUSE's film "La Magistral" depicts the story of a woman who has been enforcing a safe and unadventurous life upon herself, reuniting with an elementary school classmate who has become a female pro-wrestling star. This encounter leads the heroine to dive into the world of wrestling, where she gradually discovers her true self.

Director NARUSE, who also practices amateur wrestling, revealed that the title "La Magistral" comes from a wrestling move called "La Magistral" and shared an episode about how they applied for the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "Young Filmmakers Development Project" because of their strong desire to depict the world of professional wrestling.

Her aim was to create a film that would make viewers' hearts feel lighter, encouraging them to think positive and have hope for tomorrow. Dir. NARUSE expressed their determination to continue aiming for such works in their future projects.

Xiaoxuan JIANG, the director of "Graveyard of Horses," was unable to attend as she is currently working on a feature-length film. Instead, a message from her was presented.

Set amidst the harsh Mongolian winter grasslands, "Graveyard of Horses" portrays the experiences of a pregnant mother and her young daughter in the absence of the father.

Director JIANG expressed, "Typical Mongolian films depict men hunting, but I wanted to tell the story of the women left behind. At my university, I was advised to avoid shooting films in extremely bad weather conditions or script with children or animals, but I didn't adhere to any of those guidelines and found myself in a quagmire. Though I went through that difficult situation, I’d like to continue depicting stories of families worldwide."