The London Korean Film Festival is back this November, and it's a big one. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the UK’s flagship celebration of Korean cinema runs from 5–18 November, taking over BFI Southbank, Ciné Lumière and the ICA with a packed line-up of premieres, rising talent and cult classics.
Opening the festival is the world premiere of Frosted Window, a poetic seasonal triptych from director Kim Jong-kwan (The Table, Shades of the Heart), set in the historic Seochon district of Seoul. The closing gala is Woo Min-ho’s Harbin, a sweeping historical thriller about Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, starring Hyun Bin and lensed by Parasite cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo.
In between, expect everything from high-concept genre mashups to intimate indie gems. Highlights include Hi-Five, a lighthearted superhero comedy from Sunny director Kang Hyoung-chul; Commission, a slick psychodrama set in the world of webtoons; and Time to Be Strong, a bittersweet K-pop idol road trip with a twist. There's also The Informant, an offbeat cop caper starring Squid Game’s Heo Sung-tae, and 3670, an award-winning queer drama following a North Korean defector’s search for identity in Seoul.
The festival also hosts a series of talks and films dedicated to championing women's stories and talent. This year's Women's Voices strand, curated by Seoul International Women’s Film Festival’s Son Si-nae, champions new voices with emotionally charged dramas like Red Nails, SAVE, and the documentary The Meryl Streep Project, a look at feminist activism through the unlikely lens of one woman’s obsession with the Hollywood icon.
Marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation, the festival also features a special programme of resistance films, including the genre-blending Break Up the Chain (1971), Kim Jee-woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird and biopics such as Hero and Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet.
For the first time, audiences will get to vote for their favourite film with the launch of the LKFF Audience Award. Expect bold storytelling, big names, and a celebration of everything Korean cinema does best.
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