The London Korean Film Festival returns with its 8th installment to present an exciting programme of films chosen to suit all tastes. The London Korean Film Festival is now the largest international festival of Korean film in the world and as usual we will present a blend of Q&A Screenings, Forums and talks that make our festival one of the most accessible platforms to discover world cinema.
The festival will kick off in November, against a back-drop of continued success for Korean film in the UK. Korean Film has always had a strong following in the UK and this has led to more and more K-Films being picked up by local distributors. Also in 2013 the prestigious Edinburgh International Film Festival chose to include a 'Korea Focus' within its programme, inviting leading actors and directors to take part in events and talks. We have also seen a growing number of K-Films included in the London Film Festival this year as well as cinematic releases also.
Our sister programme the Korean Film Night at the Korean Cultural Centre UK has also welcomed four of Korea's leading actors to the UK to present the finale of their mini-seasons. These Q&A Screenings at London' BAFTA cinema have enabled fans of K-Film to meet these stars and we are grateful to each of them for giving their time so freely, so that British fans could learn more about K-film.
Therefore with the film festival about to start we can cap off a successful year for K-film in the UK with an exciting array of films. Our Festival will open and close at the Odeon West End in Leicester Square, a cinema that we have closely worked with now for many years. This year we begin with the home invasion, suspense thriller 'Hide and Seek' that has had everyone talking. In fact, it sold 5m tickets in just its first 19 days! The Odeon West End will then welcome us back for the Closing Gala, where Youn Yuh-Jung, quite possibly Korea's most famous actress, will present her comedy hit 'Boomerang Family'.
Our Festival will not just be confined to London, as after the Closing Gala it will then travel to 3 cities and this year these will be Oxford, Bradford and St. Andrews. The festival is not just about the Box Office Hits and so we also have an Animation Day for children, as well as an Independent day and short film section to support a sustainable film industry. Our Directrospective this year explores the films Kang-Woo Suk. One of Korea's most senior film figures who has stood tall in the industry as both a director and a producer for over two decades.
We also welcome back our Critic's Choice section with films chosen by our Festival Adviser and leading Asian Film Critic, Tony Rayns. Tony will also lead the discussion at our K-Film Forum on the 12th November at the Korean Cultural Centre UK. With 2013 also marking the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, a conflict which saw 58,000 UK troops take part, we have included a selection of classic Korean War films from the archives. These films, rarely seen in the west explore the division between towns and villages, friends and colleagues that the conflict ultimately created.
The London Korean Film Festival is excited to be putting on such a plentiful programme for you all to enjoy and we very much hope that you will be able to catch a screening or two with us this year.
The London Korean Film Festival is presented by the Korean Cultural Centre UK and runs from the 7-15th November 2013 in London and tours to Oxford, Bradford and St. Andrews until 22nd Nov. 2013.
For details please see www.koreanfilm.co.uk