The London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF) returns this autumn to celebrate its 10th anniversary. From 23 October to 2 November 2025, the festival will once again transform the capital into a hub of cinematic celebration, bringing over 40 films from across the region to some of London’s most iconic venues. Over the past decade,…
Tag: London East Asia Film Festival
9th London East Asia Film Festival: “Exhuma” Review
What do a Feng Shui master, a mortician, and a shaman all have in common? No, this isn’t the setup for a terrible joke; instead, it’s the main plot of the Korean supernatural horror film Exhuma. Although the film starts off slowly, it effectively introduces the main characters and their backgrounds. Additionally, it provides an…
9th London East Asia Film Festival: Jang Jae-hyun and Producer Kim Young-min on Their Latest Project “Exhuma”
Jang Jae-hyun, a South Korean film director and screenwriter, earned acclaim for his work on blockbuster films such as The Priests (2015), Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019), and Exhuma (2024). His career took off when he worked as an assistant director on the period drama Masquerade (2012). Jang Jae-hyun was also praised for his short…
Celebrating the Finest in East Asian Cinema, the 9th London East Asia Film Festival Returns from October 23 to November 3, 2024
London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF), a premier celebration of East Asian cinema and culture, is returning for its ninth iteration. Kicking off on October 23, 2024, at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, the festival will debut with the UK premiere of Escape, an intense drama by the acclaimed director Lee Jong-Pil. The event will…
8th London East Asia Film Festival: “The Boys” Review (Opening Night Film)
The Boys is the final film in Chung Ji-young’s “true story trilogy” which began in 2012 with Broken Arrow (also known as Unbowed) later followed by Black Money in 2019. The three films deal with social issues and in particular focus on prosecutorial and police misconduct within the South Korean justice system and the ordinary…
8th London East Asia Film Festival: “Life and Death of the Hollywood Kid” Review
Chung Ji-young has carved out a distinguished place for himself in Korean cinema with a unique and versatile filmmaking style that is marked by its dynamism, social commentary, and a keen sense of narrative craftsmanship. The director’s films are often lauded for their social and political relevance, in which he fearlessly addresses pertinent issues and societal…
LEAFF 2023: East Asian Cinema Takes Center Stage in London
The London East Asia Film Festival, also known as LEAFF is back for its 8th edition, bringing the best of East Asian cinema and culture to the capital. Starting on October 18th with the gripping drama The Boys by Director Chung Ji-Young at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, the festival will run until October 29th. The…
4th London East Asia Film Festival – In Conversation with Ryu Jun-yeol
Sunny days are rare in the UK during the Autumn, but who needs them when Ryu Jun-yeol is in London and his bright personality and smile brightens up the day? At one of London’s hotels, the actor greets us with a warm handshake. As we sit comfortably on the Victorian looking sofa, he enthusiastically invites…
4th London East Asia Film Festival: Opening Night Gala – Exit Review
Up amongst Seoul’s rollercoaster of a skyline, Yong-nam (Jo Jung-suk) and Eui-Ju (Lim Yoona) are hurdling from building to building desperately trying to outrun and outsmart the toxic fog slowly following them across the city. Opening up this year’s London East Asia Film Festival, Lee Sang-geun’s feature debut Exit is a joyful, lively but somewhat…
3rd London East Asia Film Festival: Miss Baek Review
Child abuse is a serious problem in South Korea, where the Western trend of permissive education and upbringing never made an entirely successful landing, and where (light) corporal punishment will still hardly draw the attention of authorities, which has lead to horrific numbers of child abuse cases that have been growing at an alarming rate….
VIEW OF THE ARTS 