Those mourning the end of the London Film Festival take heart in the news that the London Korean Film Festival begins this week.
Kicking off on Thursday 7th November, it runs until Friday 15th with almost 30 films showcasing the best in Korean cinema past and present.
Over the past 8 years the LKFF has established itself as a must-see event not just for fans of world cinema but for movie lovers in general, with a host of talent on hand to discuss the importance of the country’s cinema.
Excitingly diverse, the range can be seen in the opening and closing gala movies. Opening the festival is the European premiere of Huh Jung’s directorial debut, Hide and Seek. A home invasion thriller that was a surprise hit in Korea this summer, fans of smart, suspenseful nail-biters will be in their element over 107 nerve-shredding minutes.
Closing the festival is European premiere of the delightful, off-beat comedy/drama/gangster/thriller Boomerang Family. Revolving around the misfortunes of two brothers, their sister and perpetually cheery mother, the movie demonstrates the versatility of Korean cinema, flitting between genres and shifting gears in surprising and hilarious ways.
Hide and Seek director Huh and Boomerang Family director Song Hae-sung and cast will be in attendance to introduce their films and offer insights into how the two movies were made. Between these two, audiences are treated to a fantastic, varied programme.
Riveting school bullying drama Pluto, which picked up the Crystal Bear at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, is a gem waiting to be discovered, and recent Korean blockbuster The Flu is a must for fans of Outbreak or classic disaster movies.
Kim Jee-woon, director of A Tale of Two Sisters, The Good, The Bad, The Weird and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand will be in town to present three of his short films, including his latest, One Perfect Day. The director will also be holding on Q&A to discuss his fascinating career.
The London Korean Film Festival 2013 will also be hosting documentaries, rare classics based around the Korean War to mark the 60th anniversary of its armistice; barmy sounding spy comedy Secretly, Greatly, smash hit thriller Montage and much more.
And for those outside London, fear not. The Korean Cultural Centre UK will be touring festival highlights in Oxford, Bradford and St Andrews, Scotland, from Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd November.
For more information on the festival, click here
Rob Daniel
