The 19th edition of the London Korean Film Festival (LKFF), organized by the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) with the support of the Korean Film Council, proudly presents its 2024 programme. The festival will run from November 1 to November 13 at venues including BFI Southbank, Ciné Lumière, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)….
Tag: London Korean Film Festival
18th London Korean Film Festival: “Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman” Review (Closing Night)
Spoilers ahead Demons and spirits conjure two emotions for movie lovers: it either piques their interest to watch or has them running away in fear. The opening credits of 2023’s Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman do just that with the cryptic quote, “Seoul Kyung is a talisman with spells and glyphs written on Hanji…
18th London Korean Film Festival: “Hail to Hell” Review
In recent years, South Korean independent cinema has been taking the world by storm. Just look at Past Lives – a hidden gem of the country’s cinema. Another interesting film that is worth one’s attention is Lim Oh-jeong‘s Hail to Hell. Screened at this year’s London Korean Film Festival, the compelling film takes us on…
London Korean Film Festival Unveils Exciting 2023 Program
The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) is back with its 18th edition, and this year promises to be a special one as it commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). The festival, known for its dedication to presenting the best of Korean cinema, is set to run from November 2nd…
The London Korean Film Festival Returns for Its 18th Edition with a Special Focus
The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) is set to return for its 18th edition from November 2 to November 16, 2023. Held in cinema venues across London, this year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, A Glimpse into Korean Cinema With the distinction of hosting the most extensive program of Korean cinema…
17th London Korean Film Festival: “Stellar: A Magical Ride” Review
There’s something inherently comforting about the road trip movie. Always following the same narrative formula, with little room to innovate due to its constraints, a film within this subgenre is always about a journey both literal and metaphorical – the lead character experiencing emotional growth, whilst ticking off all the expected beats you’d expect on…
17th London Korean Film Festival: “Alienoid” Review
Some films require patience to watch and some require energy. Writer-director Choi Dong-hoon’s Alienoid belongs to the latter camp for its hyperactivity. An ambitious mashup of multiple genres – sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, action, thriller, you name it – Choi’s sixth feature is, in a sense, a culmination of his filmography and much more. Alienoid does…
17th London Korean Film Festival: In Conversation with Choi Dong-hoon, Director of “Alienoid”
In 2015, during the BFI London Film Festival, I had my first conversation with South Korean filmmaker Choi Dong-hoon as he promoted his espionage action film Assassination. Several years later, he finished the script for Alienoid, a sci-fi fantasy action film. Starring a top-notch assemble of actors, including Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin, Ryu Jun-yeol, Lee…
London Korean Film Festival Announces Its Full Programme
The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) is proud to be returning in 2020 for its milestone 15th edition. Taking place from 29 October – 12 November the festival will be going digital for the first time, with 30+ films available online to audiences across the UK, prerecorded interviews, live Q&As and other virtual events, along…
13th London Korean Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Yang-hee and Yang Ik-june of ‘The Poet and the Boy’
The Poet and the Boy is a feature debut by Korean filmmaker Kim Yang-hee, starring Yang Ik-june, an actor and a filmmaker himself, who gained the public attention and won several awards with his semi-autobiographical feature debut, which he wrote, directed and played the leading role in – the 2009 indie hit Breathless. With her…
13th London Korean Film Festival: The Poet and the Boy Review
The Poet and the Boy (Si-e-nui a-rang) is the feature debut for Kim Yang-hee; it premiered at Jeonju International film festival in 2017, and made its way to London Korean Film Festival this fall. The film stars South Korean actor and filmmaker Yang Ik-june, who is best known for his debut film, which he both…
13th London Korean Film Festival: Microhabitat Review
Despite the complexity of portraying homelessness on screen, filmmakers keep rising to the challenge. The South Korean filmmaker Jeon Go-woon skillfully depicted the subject in her debut feature Microhabitat, in which she also questions different aspects of adult life. The film revolves around the character of Mi-so (Esom: Warriors of the Dawn, The Third Charm TV…
13th London Korean Film Festival: The Princess and the Matchmaker Review
A long wait for a premiere of a film never bodes well, even though it might be because the producers want to avoid the film clashing with the releases of other big productions, or because the progress has been slowed down by a prolonged post-production. The latter especially implies that the producer isn’t sure about…
The 12 London Korean Film Festival: Warriors of the Dawn Review
In 1592, the Korean Peninsula suffered a surprise attack by Japanese forces, led by Imperial Regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who intended to conquer the Joseon-ruled Korean Peninsula as a gateway to the Ming-dynasty-ruled Chinese territory; the initial invasion started the so-called Imjin War which lasted until 1598, for seven years, and just like any other war,…
