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7 Films That Are Featured At The Korean Film Festival 2023

Experience the heart and soul of Korea through these award-winning films

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Metro.Style Team

<p>This year’s <strong>Korean Film Festival </strong>(KFF) will take audiences on an extraordinary cinematic journey with Korea’s filmmaking excellence, rich and captivating narratives, and breathtaking locations and vistas. <strong><em>Ka-ja! (Let’s go!) Korea through Films: Korean Film Festival 2023</em></strong> invites moviegoers to experience the heart and soul of Korea through its carefully curated selection featuring seven award-winning films.  </p><div><br/></div><p>The festival runs from <strong>September 23 to 26, 2023</strong> at five SM Cinema branches in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao: SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Seaside Cebu and SM Lanang Premier. Admission is free and on a first come, first-served basis.</p><div><br/></div><div><em><strong>Check out the scenes at the launch of the Korean Film Festival <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1049420842895626" target="_blank">here</a>.<br/></strong></em></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/3f7bc2e0-a82a-4f9b-b18f-4cd71ca5499f_photo 1 - korean film festival.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa (second from right) leads the opening ceremony of this year’s Korean Film Festival at SM Cinema Mall of Asia. He is joined by (from left): Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines Director Kim Myeongjin, Film Development Council of the Philippines Executive Director III Daniel David Morales, National Commission on Culture and the Arts Chairperson Victorino Manalo, The LAMP Film Production Director Lee Yeonhwa and CEO Park Eunkyung, and SM Mall of Asia Senior Assistant Vice President Perkin So.</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The Korean Film Festival 2023 is presented by the <strong>Embassy of the Republic of Korea</strong> and the <strong>Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines</strong> (KCC), in partnership with <strong>SM Cinema</strong>, the <strong>Korean Film Council</strong>, F<strong>ilm Development Council of the Philippines</strong> (FDCP), and the <strong>Korea Tourism Organization Manila Office</strong>.</p><div><br/></div><p>Korean Ambassador <strong>Lee Sang-hwa</strong> led the opening ceremony recently at the SM Cinema Mall of Asia. He was joined by National Commission for Culture and the Arts Chairperson <strong>Victorino Manalo</strong>, SM Supermalls Senior Assistant Vice President <strong>Perkin So</strong>, and Film Development Council of the Philippines <strong>Daniel David Morales</strong>. Flying in from Korea to join the opening were renowned K-film producers, The Lamp CEO <strong>Park Eunkyung</strong>, and Film Production Director, <strong>Lee Yeonhwa</strong>—the creative geniuses behind the box-office sensation, <em><strong>Life is Beautiful</strong></em>, which was the festival’s opening film. Both Park and Lee also topbilled the festival’s <strong>Meet the Mentor</strong> series held at the De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/c29f5d49-a8f5-4a2a-b2fe-20f049ae6949_photo 2 - kff (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Box-office sensation, “Life is Beautiful”, is a joyful and uplifting musical about a terminally ill wife who asks her husband to help find her childhood sweetheart as a birthday present."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Box-office sensation, “Life is Beautiful”, is a joyful and uplifting musical about a terminally ill wife who asks her husband to help find her childhood sweetheart as a birthday present.</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Audiences will get a unique opportunity to enjoy an award-winning selection of films that have captured audiences worldwide. These include the joyful and uplifting musical <em>Life is Beautiful</em>; the stunning black and white drama, <em><strong>The Book of Fish</strong></em>; compelling independent film <em><strong>Bori</strong></em>; and must-see films <em><strong>Director&#x27;s Intention</strong></em>; <em><strong>Everglow</strong></em>; <em><strong>Gyeongju</strong></em>; and <strong><em>Jukdo Surfing Diary</em></strong>. Audiences are in for a visual treat with scenic locations across Korea—Gangneung, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju, Yangyang, Paju, and Sinan—providing the backdrop for each of the films.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/3cfcac5f-5bf6-4960-859f-7f870f856457_photo 3 - kff (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Add to your must-watch list at the KFF: “The Book of Fish”, a stunning black and white drama by renowned director, Lee Joon-ik. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/040ffcb7-0241-47c1-be36-865542b5e93a_photo 4 - kff (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Not to be missed is “Gyeongju”, about Choi Hyeon, a well-known professor, who visits a colleague&#x27;s funeral and suddenly remembers a painting they saw together from a teahouse in Gyeongju. Wondering if it still exists, he makes a spontaneous trip to the place.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/3a9f9f4f-8ac2-4143-8b86-5345bd27d609_photo 5 - kff (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">“Director’s Intention” tells the story of Sun-hwa, a location manager in Busan who finds shooting spots for films. One day, she joins a new project out of the blue. But as soon as she walks into the door, she recognizes the director at once. It’s Do-young, her ex-boyfriend who left her and went to Seoul to fulfill his dream. They were lovers in the past but now Sun-hwa has to face him as a business partner. To make things worse, all he says is “no”.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/064628ec-d7d3-4231-8a76-e56b85fbd435_photo 6 - kff (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Audiences will love “Everglow” about a documentary producer, Kyung-hoon, who visits Jeju Island to film Jin-ok, a ‘Haenyeo (female diver)’, who is listed on the Guinness World Records. At first, she strongly refuses to be filmed somehow, however soon she notices Kyung-hoon’s sincere heart and decides to be in the documentary. As they spend more and more time together for shooting, they open up to each other not only their heart, but their deepest wounds related to the ocean. The bond between them shortly grows into love despite their 40-year of age gap.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/47d457d7-759e-4c9d-a354-e329120c7093_photo 7 - kff (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A beach famous for surfing has been tarnished, which make surfers worry. A 12-year-old surfer, Bijoo, is also forced to leave due to the beach&#x27;s poor condition in “Jukdo Surfing Diary”.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/72745f38-7a24-47c8-a95c-f1157d4f6b16_photo 8 - kff (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Another KFF highlight is “Bori”. Bo Ri is the only family member who can hear. She talks to her friends while finding signing with her family difficult. Wishing to be deaf, she jumps into the sea and loses consciousness. Waking up in the hospital, she pretends she&#x27;s deaf.</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><em>Ka-ja, and experience Korea through films at the Korean Film Festival 2023 at SM Cinema! For more information on the films, screening schedules and updates, visit   <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KoreanCulturalCenterPH/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KoreanCulturalCenterPH/</a> or  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SMCinema" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/SMCinema </a></em></strong></div><div><br/></div>