The 20th London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) returns from 5–18 November 2025, featuring Cinema Now, Women’s Voices, a Special Screening, and Dramas of Resistance: The 80th Anniversary of Liberation, a programme co-organised with the Korean Film Archive. You can find the official press release launching the festival here. Below you’ll find a summary of the screenings in the … [Read More]
Director: Lee Man-hee
London Korean Film Festival Announces 2025 Programme
Here’s the official press release for this year’s London Korean Film Festival, released today. This year’s festival is the 20th organised by the KCCUK. You can find the detailed schedule here. London Korean Film Festival announces programme for special 20th anniversary edition Opening Gala (World Premiere) – Frosted Window by acclaimed director Kim Jong-kwan, followed … [Read More]
BFI Film Season: Echoes in Time — Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema
The BFI Southbank programme for late October and November 2024 begins with Echoes in Time: Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema, a major new season running from 28 October to 31 December. Programmed by Young Jin Eric Choi and Goran Topalovic, Echoes in Time will focus on two groundbreaking periods in the … [Read More]
Screening: Lee Man-hee’s The Road to Sampo
Korean Film Nights presents director Lee Man-hee’s final film ‘The Road to Sampo’ (1975). This film was digitally restored in 4K in 2021. The original film used for the restoration was the 35mm original negative film and the 17.5mm sound negative film both of which were collected in 1982. This event will be moderated by … [Read More]
The Korean Film Archive Youtube Channel
Continuing some suggestions of what to do when you’re stuck at home… Many of you will already be aware that the Korean Film Archive has a wonderful YouTube Channel with loads of classic Korean movies, with English subtitles, available for free. Thing is, I’ve never found an index of the channel. So, over the years … [Read More]
Screening: The Marines Who Never Returned CANCELLED
This screening is now cancelled as the KCC has closed, in common with many cultural venues, as a result of the health situation. The KCC’s first season of in-house screenings this year commemorates the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. The Marines Who Never Returned Director: Lee Man-hee (1963, 110 mins) Cast: … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival 2019: the official press release
Here is today’s official press release that announces the line-up for the 2019 London Korean Film Festival: The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) has launched its full programme of films and events for the upcoming 14th edition, taking place from 1st-14th November in London before embarking on the annual tour 18th-24th November. The Special Focus, … [Read More]
A new year gift from the Korean Film Archive
Those nice people at the Korean Film Archive have given us a new year gift, in the form of twenty-one English subtitled classic movies newly uploaded to their YouTube channel. At least two of these have been available on subtitled DVD before (Come, Come, Come Upward and Gingko Bed) but I’m assuming these are new, … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival 2017: full programme details
Details of the programme for the 2017 London Korean Film Festival were announced earlier this evening at the fun-packed and blood-spattered final teaser screening (Jung Byung-gil’s The Villainess). The detailed schedule is right at the bottom of this page, and the below press release gives us plenty to mull over in terms of the individual … [Read More]
LBF event 4 Mar: Books on Screen — The Road to Sampo
The first of the KCC’s Korean Literature on Screen events. The Hwang Sok-yong short story on which it is based is pretty hard to find in translation. It’s part of a collection published by Heinemann Asia in the 1980s, logged on Brother Anthony’s site here, and available on Amazon for the princely sum of £112.14. … [Read More]
The Korean Novels on Screen Programme at the KCC
The KCC, in conjunction with the British Council, has announced its programme of films inspired by Korean literature. Two and a half of the films have their original stories available in English translation. The ones available in English are The Road to Sampo and Leafie. The half-film is The Scarlet Letter, which is based both … [Read More]
You’ve seen the film, now read the book
The Korean Film Council recently publicised on its website the new “Book to Film” initiative aimed at bringing together the film and the publishing industries. Of course, the practice adapting a book for the big screen is almost as old as the movie industry itself, and some of South Korea’s most successful movies have been … [Read More]
Lee Man-hee’s Homebound at the KCC
Not a very cheery film for the latest in the Women on Screen series, but Lee Man-hee is one of the greats. Lee Man-hee: Homebound (귀로, 1967) Screening: 20 June at the KCC, 7pm Runtime: 91 mins Paralyzed from the waist down due to injuries from fighting in the Korean War, Coe is sexually disabled. … [Read More]
Mark Morris on Lee Man-hee and the flowering of Korean film in the 1960s
Everybody in Britain has heard of Samsung computers or Hyundai cars. However, another aspect of South Korea today is its successful export of films, music and TV dramas to neighbouring countries, known as ‘Korean Wave’ or ‘Hallyu’. In order to get a Western perspective on Korean cinema, I visited the Korean Cultural Centre in London … [Read More]
A mixed review for Lee Man-hee, the classic film director for LKFF 2011
Most years, the London Korean Film Festival aims to include some classic films, usually from the 1960s, within its schedule. This is a valuable feature for UK cinemagoers, some of whom may be of the impression that Korean film started with Shiri. This year Lee Man-hee was featured, with two films: A Day Off and … [Read More]
Lee Man-hee classic “A Day Off” + Mark Morris talk at KCC
Lee Man-hee’s classic film “A Day Off” (1969) will be screening as part of the London Korean Film Festival this year, with a talk by Dr Mark Morris. A Day Off is part of the Lee Man-hee DVD box set which might be in your to-watch pile. This is your opportunity to see it. The … [Read More]