Bechdel Day 2026

Bechdel Day
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)
	← 2025 · Bechdel Day · 2027 →

Bechdel Day 2026 (Korean: 벡델데이 2026) was held on Yeonnamjang, Seoul, on August 29–30, 2026 (2026-08-29 – 2026-08-30). 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.

Program

Special screening

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.

Winners

Judging

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.

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. 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.

Bechdel Choice 10

Bechdel Choice 10 of the Year
Film	Series
Teaching Practice: Idiot Girls and School Ghost 2 Merely Known as Something Else [ko] Home Behind Bars [ko] Once We Were Us Mad Dance Office [ko] The World of Love Between the two of us The Woman in the White Car [ko] Hallan Red Nails	Don't Call Me Ma'am As You Stood By The Art of Sarah We Are All Trying Here Honour The Price of Confession You and Everything Else Yumi's Cells Undercover Miss Hong Aema

Bechdelian

Bechdellian of the Year
Director — Film	Director — Series
Yoon Ga-eun – The World of Love	Lee Hae-young – Aema
Producer — Film	Producer — Series
Ha Myung-mi – Hallan	Choi Han-gyul Park Jin-hyung Son Jae-sung – Honour
Screenwriter — Film	Screenwriter — Series
Seo Ja-yeon – The Woman in the White Car [ko]	Song Hye-jin – You and Everything Else
Actress — Film	Actress — Series
Jang Sun [ko] Byun Jung-hee [ko] – Red Nails	Kim Go-eun – The Price of Confession, You and Everything Else, Yumi's Cells Season 3

References

↑ 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). 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). 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). 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).
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). 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). 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.

[1] 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). Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[2] 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). Retrieved August 11, 2026.

[3] 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). Retrieved August 11, 2026.

[4] 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).

[:0-5] 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). Retrieved August 12, 2026.

[BechdelianSeries2026-6] 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). Retrieved August 13, 2026.

[Bechdel2026_film-7] 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.