2026 제26회 KYMF대한민국청소년미디어대전 '자기고백' 시상식

Recap

The 26th Korea Youth Media Festival awards ceremony celebrates young creators under the theme “Self-Confession”—the courage to share personal feelings and stories through film, photography, animation, documentaries, public-service ads, and trend media. Host and KBS announcer Nam Hyeon-jong says a record 543 works were submitted, with 43 finalists competing across six categories.

Before the awards, chief judge Professor Choi Doo-young offers a candid assessment of this year’s work. He sees recurring interest in AI, family and school relationships, and the loss of childhood innocence. He singles out documentaries for their varied subjects and approaches, while encouraging animation and trend-media creators to develop their craft further.

The ceremony’s most memorable moments come from the young winners’ acceptance speeches. Many talk about the nerves of standing onstage, the teachers and teammates who helped them, and how making a first film—or a final high-school project—changed them. One documentary director reflects on complicated questions of responsibility and warns against reducing difficult issues to blame or hatred.

Another documentary, which won a youth-jury award, explores wanting to cry but holding it in because of others’ judgments. Its creator shares a moving message:

“It’s okay to cry.”

A video excerpt from the work features frank conversations about depression and loneliness, and how the care of friends and family can help someone keep going.

There are lighter moments, too. Presenter Kim Hee-seok confesses that he loves movies and secretly wishes he could dance, but has nowhere suitable to practice—sometimes even getting scolded by a grandmother at the park. He jokingly offers to appear in the young filmmakers’ projects in any role. He then compares filmmaking to life: both involve mistakes and edits, and a good life, like a good movie, can emerge through repeated attempts.

The host also turns the crowd into part of the show, promising movie tickets to people who react enthusiastically. He picks winners from the audience and YouTube, teasing the room to keep up the applause and energy. Later, singer-songwriter Yoon Ju-eun performs and encourages the young creators to keep their dreams alive, describing art as a way to shape difficult feelings into something others can share.

The ceremony closes by revealing the next festival theme: humor—the jokes and different forms of comedy young people discover and express. After a day of vulnerable stories, heartfelt thanks, playful banter, and applause, the event ends with an invitation to attend the screenings and photo exhibition.

Featured Personalities

• Nam Hyeon-jong — Host and KBS announcer
• Choi Doo-young — Chief judge
• Kim Si-hyun — Chair of the youth judging panel
• Yoon Ju-eun — Musical guest
• Kim Hee-seok — Presenter who shared the comic dance-and-movie confession
• Park Chan-gu, Shin Seon-hee, and Lee Jong-ik — Festival and youth-program representatives
• Youth creators featured in acceptance speeches, including Lee Jin-seo, Hong Ye-jun, Lee Ji-san, Kim Seung-hyun, and Choi Yu-ju