The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) will mark its 20th anniversary with an impressive lineup running from November 5-18, 2024, featuring venues across BFI Southbank, Ciné Lumière, and ICA London. Organized by the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) and supported by the Korean Film Council, this milestone edition will showcase the world premiere of Kim Jong-kwan's "Frosted Window" as its opening film and Woo Min-ho's critically acclaimed "Harbin" as the closing feature.
As one of the longest-running film festivals dedicated to Korean cinema outside of Korea, LKFF has established itself as a premier platform for celebrating both contemporary Korean filmmaking and the country's rich cinematic heritage. This year's festival introduces the inaugural LKFF Audience Award, allowing festival-goers to vote for their favorite film and actively participate in this special anniversary celebration. The program maintains its signature strands including Cinema Now, Women's Voices, and Special Screenings.
The festival opens with the world premiere of "Frosted Window" (2025), an anthology film directed by Kim Jong-kwan, known for his masterful short narratives in "Come, Closer" (2010), "The Table" (2016), and "Shades of the Heart" (2021). This Rohmer-esque love letter to Seoul's Seochon neighborhood presents an honest portrayal of the human condition through three episodes, each set in different seasons within the Seochon area of Jongno District. Director Kim Jong-kwan and actor Yeon Woo-jin will attend the festival for a special post-screening Q&A session.
The closing film "Harbin" (2024), directed by Woo Min-ho of "Inside Men" (2015) fame, delivers a breathtaking historical drama about Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun. The film features cinematography by Hong Kyeong-pyo, who worked on "Parasite," and a score by Cho Young-wuk, a longtime collaborator of director Park Chan-wook. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, "Harbin" stars acclaimed actors Hyun Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jo Woo-jin, and Jeon Yeo-been.
Setting a celebratory tone for the anniversary edition, the festival will present a special screening of "Hi-Five" (2025), a lighthearted superhero comedy by Kang Hyoung-chul, the creative force behind blockbusters including "Sunny" (2011) and "Scandal Makers" (2008). This selection demonstrates the festival's commitment to showcasing the diverse range of Korean cinema.
The Cinema Now section brings together new releases across various genres, highlighting the vitality and innovation of Korea's contemporary filmmaking scene. Director Shin Jea-min's "Commission" (2024) stands out as a bold and sophisticated psychodrama that reimagines the creative process of Korea's booming webtoon industry as the framework for a gripping serial killer thriller, where mysteries unfold around an aspiring webtoon artist. Jang Man-min's debut feature "Silver Apricot" (2024) centers on a vampire webtoon creator who returns to her seaside hometown of Donghae City, where she must confront the complicated dynamics of her estranged family.
Namkoong Sun's "Time to Be Strong" (2024) explores the flipside of the glamorous K-pop industry, telling the story of three veteran idols who embark on a belated school trip to Jeju Island hoping to recover and rediscover their lost youth. "The Informant" (2024), directed by Kim Seok, is an action comedy following the chaotic partnership between an inept cop and an ace informant as they navigate a world of deceit and distrust, featuring an outstanding lead performance by Heo Sung-tae from "Squid Game" (2021-2025).
"The Land of Morning Calm" (2024) begins with the mysterious disappearance of a young local fisherman, sending ripples through a bleak, small seaside town. Director Park Ri-woong's melancholic portrait of an aging community earned three awards at the 29th Busan International Film Festival. Another festival-acclaimed gem is Park Joon-ho's "3670" (2025), which won four awards at the 26th Jeonju International Film Festival and tracks a North Korean defector exploring his identity and sexuality in Seoul. "Somebody" (2025), starring K-pop star Kwon Yu-ri from Girls' Generation, presents a psychological thriller that delves into the dark complexities of a troubled mother-daughter relationship.
The Women's Voices section, curated by programmer Son Si-nae from the Seoul International Women's Film Festival, champions up-and-coming independent filmmakers and their unique perspectives. Hwang Seul-gi's "Red Nails" (2025) presents a young woman burdened by debt and the arrival of her estranged mother, who suffers from dementia. Caught between survival and responsibility, the two struggle to redefine what family means in the face of hardship.
Bang Mi-ri's "SAVE" (2025) tells the story of a high school student who, just one day before leaving her orphanage, encounters a stranger claiming to have saved her life in the past and now seeks help in return. What begins with suspicion develops into an unexpected bond, as the film explores resilience and the unconventional ways women create survival strategies in a harsh world. "The Meryl Streep Project" (2024) documents director Park Hyo-sun's journey to meet her hero, Meryl Streep, who inspires her to participate in feminist activism in Korea, capturing important discussions around the political awakening among young women in the country.
In collaboration with the Korean Film Archive, this year's edition presents a special program commemorating the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. "Dramas of Resistance: The 80th Anniversary of Liberation," curated by programmer Park Se-ho, highlights films that honor the spirit of strength and resilience in the independence movement. The program features two films from the Manchurian Western genre, which blends elements of Spaghetti Westerns to explore stories set in Manchuria during the colonial era.
Auteur Lee Man-hee's "Break Up the Chain" (1971), a seminal work of the genre, presents an epic about three men chasing after a Buddha statue that holds not only monetary value but also contains a list of operatives working for the resistance movement. Kim Jee-woon's "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008) revisits the trio-and-treasure-hunt theme with renowned actors Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, and Jung Woo-sung.
The liberation commemoration program also includes two biographical films highlighting prominent figures in Korean independence. Youn JK's "Hero" (2022) is a screen adaptation of the eponymous musical chronicling the life of revolutionary Ahn Jung-geun, while Lee Joon-ik's "Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet" (2016) depicts the story of celebrated poet Yoon Dong-ju. Also based on a real-life story, Kim Hyun-seok's "YMCA Baseball Team" (2002) offers a comedic interpretation of the legendary Hwangseong YMCA baseball team, Korea's first organized baseball team.
Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, reflected on the festival's significance, stating, "As we celebrate the London Korean Film Festival, I am reminded of a phrase that guides my reflections on Korean aesthetics: all that is called is love. At its heart, cinema embodies this truth by offering us not only stories but a deeper understanding of the wide spectrum of the human condition. From tender lyricism to profound historical narratives, Korean film reveals how love, in its many forms, binds us to one another and to the world we share." The 20th London Korean Film Festival promises to be a comprehensive celebration of Korean cinema's past, present, and future, offering audiences an unparalleled opportunity to experience the depth and diversity of one of the world's most dynamic film industries.
