The Asiana International Short Film Festival kicked off at the Cine Cube cinema in central Seoul on Wednesday. The annual event, held for the ninth time, is the largest of its kind in Korea.

According to Asiana Airlines, the film festival’s main sponsor, this year’s event will be held on the largest scale yet with 2,173 films produced in 90 countries being shown during its six-day run.

The festival will include a special program offering a chance to view the early works and the latest offerings from successful directors who have achieved commercial success and critical acclaim.

Other sideline events will include a lecture by Japanese director Inudou Isshin and discussions about cinema.

(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)