Florence Korea Film Festival is coming back to Cinema La Compagnia
Hosted every spring in Florence, the Florence Korea Film Festival became the most anticipated event for South Korean cinematography enthusiasts and fans of Korean culture in Europe. The 21st edition of the festival will take place between March 30th and April 7th of 2023.
Apart from screenings of the best pieces of contemporary South Korean cinema, the festival will also host “Webtoon Comics of the Future” exhibition, creative workshops about the dramaturgy in famous Netflix series Squid Game, as well as very anticipated masterclasses, including the “Geometrie dello Sguardo” (The Geometry of Eye) by oscar-winning director of Parasite, Bong Joon-Ho.
Background
The idea of hosting a festival dedicated to modern South Korean cinematography in Italy came to life in 2002 by the efforts of Taegukgi – Toscana Korea Association. Among premieres and contemporary classics, the festival also screens documentaries, shorts and extensive retrospectives on the main acts of Korean cinematography. The participation and contribution of the authors, directors and producers to the screenings and masterclasses makes this festival stand out and attract more fans every year. Many directors who debuted on the screens of FKFF over the past two decades have achieved worldwide recognition.
Opening act
The opening ceremony and first screening will take place on March 30th at 8pm at Cinema La Compagnia. Director Kim Han-min returns to the FKFF, with his latest historical film Hansan: Rising Dragon Redux (2022), starring one of the festival special guests, Park Hae-il for the opening screening. The action in the movie revolves around the story of admiral Yi Sun-shin and the Battle of Hansan Island during the Imjin War back in 1592. This battle played a crucial role in strengthening the Joseon army which had been discouraged by repeated defeats overland.
Festival Program
This year over the course of nine days, the festival is planning to organize 29 full-length movie and 41 short-film screenings both online through Youtube and Mymovies.it server, as well as in person at Cinema La Compagnia located between the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence.
One of the major sections of the program is dedicated to the career of the famous South Korean actor Park Hae-il, who starred in Jealousy Is My Middle Name (2003) and War of the Arrows (2011). United under the theme of Tribute to Park Hae-il a selection of seven films that showcased his artistic approach and played a significant role in his rise to fame will be presented to the viewers. The actor is also expected to attend the opening ceremony and host one of the masterclasses.
Another important section is called K-Women and focuses entirely on the women behind the camera. This section features works of the leading female auteur of Korean New Wave cinema, Director Yim Soon-rye and the young director and screen-writer, July Jung. Besides presenting their latest films, both will collaborate on a masterclass to share their career stories with the public.
Other sections of the festival will also explore topics on development of modern and contemporary cinematography as well as new directions of Cinematic Hallyu and future of Independent Korean cinema.
Masterclasses
There will be four masterclasses curated by famous festival attendees. The class discussing the theme of the exhibition “Webtoon Comics of the Future” will be hosted on the second day of the festival (March 31st) by well known webtoon artists Jeong Gyu-ha and Kim Woo-seop. Another exciting masterclass by Park Hae-il and Kim Han-min is scheduled on April 1st and the class on women in cinematography with Yim Soon-rye and July Jung on April 4th. One of the most famous and celebrated filmmakers in the world, Bong Joon-ho will host an unmissable masterclass dedicated to his career, followed by the screening of Mother (2009) in black and white.
Closing act
For the closure, the road film musical, exploring the themes of life, gratitude and love Life is Beautiful (2022) by director Choi Kook-hee. Suddenly learning that she is terminally ill, Se-yeon asks her husband Jin-bong to help her in the absurd task of finding her first love again. Along the car journey the couple relives the best and the most difficult moments of their life together before having to say goodbye. The musical is scheduled to screen at Cinema La Compagnia on April 7th at 8:30pm.
Tickets and Accreditation
There is a limited number of tickets available for free admission to the opening and closing screening upon reservation via info@koreafilmfest.com. You can also apply for accreditation and purchase screening and masterclass tickets, as well as experience packages on FKFF official website.
March 30 – April 7, 2023
Cinema La Compagnia, Via Camillo Cavour, 50, Florence
Contacts: +39 333 6874142
