London Korean Film Festival back for 17th year

Showcase includes special focus on Kang Soo-yeon

by Amber Wilkinson

Alienoid will open the London Korean Film Festival
Alienoid will open the London Korean Film Festival Photo: Courtesy of the LKFF

The London Korean Film Festival returns for its 17th edition tomorrow, opening with Choi Dong-hoon's Alienoid. The festival will run until November 17 at venues across London and feature more than 35 films and will close with Kim Han-Min's Hansan: Rising Dragon, including a Q&A with the director.

Other programme highlights include Choi Dong-hoon’s crime caper The Thieves alongside a selction of Korean cinema from the past year, including Jeong Ji-yeon’s psychological thriller The Anchor and Return To Seoul, about a woman searching for her identiy, directed by Davy Chou.

There are strands dedicated to K-Horror, documentary and female filmmakers plus a special focus dedicated to actress Kang Soo-yeon. Kang won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 44th Venice International Film Festival for her role, making her the first Korean actor to receive an award at a major international film festival. Considered a national treasure, Kang died this May at the age of just 55.

Her films at the festival include Come Come Come Upward (1989), The Road To The Race Track (1991), Girls’ Night Out (1998) and Rainbow Trout (1999).

There will also be a selction of shorts from this year's winners at the Jeonju International Film Festival.

Today, the festival has also issued a statement of condolence regarding the Itaewon Halloween tragedy in Seoul, in which a crowd crush left at least 156 people dead.

In a statement the festivals organisers said: "From everyone at the London Korean Film Festival, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those lost in the Itaewon tragedy. We stand with the people of Korea and mourn with them for the loss of their loved ones. We will be inviting audiences to join us for a moment of silence and reflection at our screenings this year."

For more information about the festival and the full programme, visit the official site.

Share this with others on...
News

Having the final say Sinéad O’Shea on Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story

Band of brothers Petra Seliškar on capturing a way of life in the Macedonian mountains

For all your supernatural elimination needs Interview with Claire Bueno about Cleanin' Up The Town: Remembering Ghostbusters and her book

Keeping the spaghetti flying Michelle Danner on family life, Ang Lee and making The Italians

Talking to strangers Tracie Laymon on laughing at pain together and Bob Trevino Likes It

Childhood foray to open Cannes Critics’ Week Award-winning director Laura Wendel returns to Croisette with second feature

More news and features

We're bringing you news, reviews and more from Visions du Réel and Fantaspoa.



We're looking forward to Queer East.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Overlook Film Festival, BFI Flare, the Glasgow Short Film Festival, South by Southwest, the Glasgow Film Festival, the Berlinale, Sundance, Palm Springs and DOC NYC.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

More competitions coming soon.