London Korean Film Festival announces 2023 dates

The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) returns with its 18th edition. LKFF will run from 2 November – 16 November 2023 in cinema venues across London.

With the biggest programme dedicated to Korean cinema outside of the country itself, the festival is proud to return with another exciting programme of 35+ films across several strands including: Cinema Now; Special Focus – KAFA 40 years anniversary; Women’s Voices; Forum and Special Screenings.

2023 marks the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UK and Korea. To celebrate this occasion, LKFF will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies at the BFI Southbank.

The Special Focus Strand will commemorate the 40^th Anniversary of the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). Created by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) in 1984. KAFA is Korea’s top educational film institution having produced over 700 prominent film-industry talents, including leading Korean directors such as Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), who won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Other notable graduates include: Hur Jin-ho (Christmas in August); Jang Joon-hwan (Save the Green Planet!); Choi Dong-hoon (Alienoid); Yoon Sung-hyun (Bleak Night) and Jo Sung-hee (Space Sweepers).

The KAFA strand, programmed by Mo Eunyoung (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival programmer), includes four feature films and 11 short films. Tinker Ticker (2013) by Kim Jung-hoon – an unconventional exploration into the social anxiety of young people in modern society.  Mother Land (2022) by Park Jae-beom – the first feature-length Korean stop-motion feature film since 1978, INGtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls (2013) by Um Tae-hwa, his directorial debut, a startling portrayal of the violence keyboard warriors can express in the real world, based on a true story and Our Body (2018) by Han Ka-ram – a fascinating psychological drama on female body and mind.

The KAFA strand will also showcase 11 specially selected short films, in two collections: one collection is from the Jeonju International Festival, A Midsummer’s Fantasia: Films That Break the Norms of Imagination. A Midsummer’s Fantasia is a section with films with strong genre characteristics and includes: 2001 Imagine (1994) by Jang Joon-hwan, who was lauded for having amazing creative power when the film was released, Scissors (1998) by Lee Gi-cheol, whose works penetrate Korean modern history and Giant’ Room (2012), a creative animated film by Kim Si-jin.

This year’s festival will be hosted at BFI Southbank, Picturehouse Central, ICA, Cine Lumiere, Rio Cinema, Rich Mix and the Garden Cinema.

Full LKFF2023 programme details will be announced shortly including screenings, introductions, Q&As and more.