Bechdel Day 2026
| Bechdel Day | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 벡델데이 2026 |
| Sponsored by | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Korean Film Council |
| Date | August 29–30, 2026 |
| Venue | Yeonnamjang, Seoul |
| Country | South Korea |
| Currently held by | Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) |
Bechdel Day 2026 (Korean: 벡델데이 2026) is to be held on Yeonnamjang, Seoul, on August 29–30, 2026. It marked the seventh edition of Bechdel Day, an annual South Korean awards ceremony and event hosted by the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) and by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council. Established in 2020, the event evaluates and honors gender equality in South Korean film and television, utilizing the Bechdel test alongside expanded criteria.[1]
Program
[edit]Special screening
[edit]Bechdel Day 2026 will feature a special screening and Q&A of Director Cho Hyun-jin’s Mad Dance Office on August 24 at 7 p.m. at Megabox Sinchon Hall 4. Mad Dance Office, a "Bechdel Choice 10" selection, uses comedy and flamenco to depict the struggles, labor, and workplace frustrations of middle-aged women. The film is noted for emphasizing solidarity over individual success as a means of survival. This event is a collaboration between the Seoul International Women's Film Festival and the Directors Guild of Korea. The post-screening Q&A will be moderated by Director Min Kyu-dong, featuring Director Cho Hyun-jin and actress Yeom Hye-ran. The event aims to foster a broader dialogue regarding the evolution of female narratives and the state of gender equality in film.[2][3]
Winners
[edit]Judging
[edit]On August 5, 2026, the Directors Guild of Korea announced the Bechdel Choice 10 film selections, following a review of 128 films released between June of the previous year and May 2026. The judging panel consisted of director Lee Mi-rang, film critic Son Hee-jung, Annapurna Film CEO Lee Anna, and Cine21 reporter Kim So-mi.[4]
On August 12, the Directors Guild of Korea announced the Bechdel Choice 10 series selections. The series category of 'Bechdel Day 2026' reviewed 102 dramas released across terrestrial, general programming, cable, OTT, and web platforms from June of last year to May of this year.[5] The judging and evaluation panel for the series category included Movement representative Jin Myung-hyun, Chung-Ang University creative writing professor Kim Min-jeong, and writer Choi Ji-eun.[6]
Bechdel Choice 10
[edit]
Film |
Series |
|
Bechdelian
[edit]Director — Film |
Director — Series |
| |
Producer — Film |
Producer — Series |
|
|
Screenwriter — Film |
Screenwriter — Series |
|
|
Actress — Film |
Actress — Series |
|
References
[edit]- ↑ Park, Ji-yoon (August 31, 2025). [TF프리즘] 양성평등 가치 실현에 주목…벡델데이를 아시나요? [[TF Prism] Focusing on the Realization of Gender Equality Values… Do You Know Bechdel Day?]. The Fact (in Korean (South Korea)). Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Jeong, Tae-yi (August 11, 2026). 서울국제여성영화제, 청년 인권·AI·성평등 다룬 특별상영 [Seoul International Women's Film Festival, Special Screening on Youth Rights, AI, and Gender Equality]. Newspim (in Korean (South Korea)). Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ Im, Ga-eul (August 10, 2026). 벡델데이X서울국제영화제, ‘매드 댄스 오피스’ 특별상영 개최…염혜란 등 참석 [Bechdel Day x Seoul International Film Festival to Host Special Screening of 'Mad Dance Office'... Yeom Hye-ran and Others in Attend]. SWTV News (in Korean (South Korea)). Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ Han, Ki-bong (August 5, 2026). 지난 1년 어떤 영화가 가장 '성평등'한 영화였을까? [Which movie was the most 'gender-equal' movie of the past year?]. Women Times (in Korean (South Korea)).
- 1 2 Park, Ji-yeon (August 12, 2026). '벡델데이 2026', 세대·장르·시대 넘나드는 벡델초이스 10 공개 ['Bechdel Day 2026' Unveils Bechdel Choice 10, Crossing Generations, Genres, and Eras]. The Fact (in Korean (South Korea)). Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 Park, Jin-young. 김고은·'은중과 상연' 송혜진 작가·'애마' 이해영 감독, 벡델리안 선정 [Kim Go-eun, 'Eun-jung and Sang-yeon' writer Song Hye-jin, and 'Aema' director Lee Hae-young selected by Bechdelian]. Joynews24 (in Korean (South Korea)). Retrieved August 13, 2026.
- 1 2 Kim, Seong-hyeon (August 6, 2026). '세계의 주인' 윤가은 감독, 벡델데이 '올해의 감독' 만장일치 선정 [Director Yoon Ga-eun of 'Master of the World' Unanimously Selected as 'Director of the Year' on Bechdel Day]. YTN (in Korean). Retrieved August 6, 2026 – via Daum.