London, 21 September 2016: The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) unveiled the line-up for its 11th edition today as it prepares for its longest run to date, 3 – 27 November. Now entering into its second decade, the festival will present another expansive selection of films from one of the most exciting national cinemas in the world.

The UK Premiere of director Lee Kyoung-mi’s The Truth Beneath will kick-off the festival at an Opening Gala on the evening of 3 November. Tying in with this year’s Special Focus on Women, this is the first time a female director’s film will open the LKFF. After working as scripter and assistant director under Park Chan-wook on Lady Vengeance, Lee made her debut with acclaimed comedy-drama Crush and Blush (2008) before making us wait 8-years for this spectacular second feature. Mixing the personal with the political, the family drama with the thriller; The Truth Beneath blends genres to create a slick, stylish and suspense-filled film. Making the trip from Korea to London, Lee will appear at the Opening Gala and events throughout the festival.

Over a career that has spanned 20-years, Hong Sang-soo has left an indelible mark on Korean Cinema. Ever since his 1996 debut, The Day a Pig Fell Into A Well, Hong has garnered awards and critical acclaim across the global film festival circuit with Cannes, Locarno, Rotterdam and Vancouver all having recognised the contribution to cinema of this leading auteur. After debuting in Toronto Yourself and Yours, the 18th film from an already prolific career, will make its UK premiere at the Closing Gala of the 2016 LKFF. In a typically languid and soju-soaked affair Kim Ju-hyuk, who also features in the opening film The Truth Beneath, plays a painter who wanders the city after a fight with his girlfriend (Lee Yoo-young, Late Spring) and yet can’t escape a likeness of her that appears to be meeting men across the city. Reality blurs as Hong explores love, obsession and insecurity in his idiosyncratically playful style.

 The Truth Beneath

Aiming to present a new vision of cinema as we enter a new decade, we’re looking towards the future as we proudly present a special strand entitled The Lives of Korean Women through the Eyes of Women Directors, showcasing fiction features from a feminine point of view. The Opening Film’s director, Lee Kyoung-mi, is spearheading this women’s movement by coming to the festival in person with The Truth Beneath (2016), plus we’ll be showing her highly acclaimed, Park Chan-Wook produced debut Crush and Blush (2008). Reaching back to 1955 we’ll present the first ever film from a female director in South Korea, Park Nam-ok’s portrayal of the hardships faced by women post-war, The Widow. It’s been nearly 20-years since Korean cinema first started to take the world by storm and our eclectic programme shines a light on the work of women filmmakers over this period. Films include Take Care of My Cat (2001) with its significantly all-female cast (star Bae Doona included) and Yim Soon-rye’s hit drama about the South Korean women’s handball team, Forever the Moment(2008). Yim, a leading female director in the Korean New Wave, will be appearing at the festival to talk about her work. Other features include Lee Jeong-hyang’s story of a young city kid going to live with his elderly grandmother, The Way Home (2002); difficult relations between a woman and her dead sister’s husband in Park Chan-ok’s Paju (2009) and Kim Min-hee, currently enjoying fame in The Handmaiden, playing a vanishing fiancé in taut thriller Helpless (2012). Lee Hyun-ju’s new indie lesbian drama Our Love Story (2015, UK Premiere) brings us up to date with a topical modern love affair. Further recent works include Bu Ji-young’s protest over the treatment of temporary workers, Cart (2014, UK Premiere) and Kim Soo-jung’s emotional family drama, A Blue Mouthed Face (2015, UK Premiere). The themes and importance of this strand are perfectly encapsulated within Yim Soon-rye’s documentary Keeping the Vision Alive (2001), which explores the full history of Korea’s women filmmakers.