Korean Film Festival 2023 features 13 titles, with He Shuming’s Ajoomma as opening film

Immerse yourself in the richness of Korean storytelling, artistic expression, and cinematic excellence as the Korean Film Festival (KFF) returns this year.

The festival will host a total of 13 titles across five segments: the opening film, recent releases, documentary, visions of now and youth. In addition, there will also be a short film showcase of selected films from the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival.

Film lovers can expect to “see a curated selection of exceptional Korean films spanning various genres”, according to a press release. There will be award-winning features, insightful documentaries and captivating animations screened during the festival.

Opening film

Kicking off the festival proper on 25 Oct (Wed) at Singapore’s National Gallery is Ajoomma, the festival’s opening film.

Read more: Director He Shuming talks debut K-drama inspired film Ajoomma

The film, a co-production between Singapore and Korea, stars local actress Hong Huifang. Hong plays a widow who’s obsessed with Korean dramas. She travels out of Singapore for the first time to Seoul but gets lost in the country. Her journey then becomes an unexpected road of self-discovery.

Hong, alongside director He Shuming will be present at the opening night for the post-screening Q&A session. The opening night is by invitation only.

Recent Releases

Films like The Night Owl (2022) and Walk Up (2022), which dropped last year, will be screened at Golden Village Suntec City for free. The festival also offers more recent films, like Phantom (2023) and Switch (2023).

Viewers can also catch the sports drama film Rebound (2023), which was released a few months back in April.

Documentary

The documentary segment spotlights Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV, a film which traces the life of Nam himself. Nam is a pioneer of tele-visual works, and his repertoire consists of eclectic work in visual media, sculptures and drawings.

Visions of now

Director Jang Kun-jae’s A Midsummer’s Fantasia (2015) will be screened during this segment. Jang’s film highlights the sensitivities of original storytelling, as he journeys to a small rural town in Japan, Gojo.

Youth

This is the segment to look out for if you’re into coming-of-age films.

The festival will screen The Hill of Secrets (2022), a notable example in Korean Cinema which exceptionally portrays an adolescent’s encounters and emotions.

In a special short film showcase, various films by talented Korean female directors will take centre stage. This includes A Guitar in the Bucket (2021), Aurora (2021), I’m Not A Robot (2022) and My Annoying Mother (2022).

All screenings are at Suntec City’s Golden Village. Admission to the screenings is free of charge, and viewers can obtain their tickets here.