The Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) is returning to Brisbane from Wednesday 15 to Thursday 16 August at the Elizabeth Picture Theatre, bringing a line-up of 22 new Korean films, from across all genres including thrillers, dramas, comedy, horror and fantasy.

KOFFIA Director David Park said that the Festival this year offers an enormous range of films catering for audiences with different interests. “The past year for Korean cinema has been one of the best and most accomplished in recent memory – making this a very, very special year for the Festival,” said David. “With such an enormous range, audiences are able to pick out a film for whatever tickles their fancy.” This event is a cinematic experience for people of all tastes, ages and cultural backgrounds. As such, every film presented at the Festival screens with English subtitles. 

With the feel-good flick Little Forest kicking off the Festival, the film tells the story of a young woman who leaves the big city behind and returns to her country hometown, reuniting with childhood friends. Starring Kim Tae-ri, Little Forest will have audiences yearning for the simple life. The closing night film is the poignant and lively Korean art-house smash Microhabitat. Winner of the CGV Arthouse Award at 2017 Busan International Film Festival, Microhabitat is the directorial debut of Jeon Go-woon. The story follows aging housekeeper Mi-so who decides to ditch the roof over her head and journey through Seoul to reconnect with her old college friends and crash on their couches. In addition of A Taxi Driver, which was selected as South Korea’s pick for the Foreign-Language category at the 2018 Academy Awards, this film is based off the real-life Gwangju Uprising of 1980 and it will be one of the highlights in the Festival.

Presented by the Korean Cultural Centre Australia, KOFFIA showcases some of the best Korean culture through film. From big budget blockbusters to intimate art-house flicks, the Festival presents a program of world-class cinema, plucked straight out of Korea’s booming film industry – Hallyuwood.

Readers also enjoyed this review of Lysa and Freeborn Dames.