The Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), the nation's largest showcase of indie and art-house films, will open next month with Korean-Japanese director Chong Wishing's "Yakiniku Dragon."

The organizing committee on Tuesday announced a record lineup of 246 films from 46 countries for its 19th edition to run from May 3-12.

Launched in 2000, JIFF is now recognized as a premier event for alternative movies. The host city Jeonju is located 243 kilometers south of Seoul.

Leading the films will be the world premiere of "Yakiniku Dragon," which depicts the shared trauma, love and strife of ethnic Koreans living in the neighborhood of a family running a Korean barbecue restaurant in Osaka.

The festival will close with the American director Wes Anderson's "Isle Of Dogs," the opening film and best director winner of this year's Berlin International Film Festival. Set in Japan, the animated film follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog.

The annual festival will screen lots of challenging and controversial films befitting its slogan "Outlet for cinematic expression," according to the organizers.

Ten films chosen out of 89 are up for competition in the Korean feature film competition category, while 20 films will compete in the Korean short film section. (Yonhap)