The Korean Cultural Center New York will hold the first New York Korean Independent Film Festival (NYKIFF) from Thursday, Oct. 15, to Sunday, Oct. 25, at the center's theater on 32nd Street in Manhattan. In partnership with the Seoul Independent Film Festival, Jeonju International Film Festival, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, Muju Film Festival and Miseenscène Short Film Festival, the festival will screen 10 feature films and five short films, all free of charge. More than 10 directors and producers will travel to New York for post-screening talks with audiences.
Some of the most talked-about works in Korean independent cinema are coming together in one place in Manhattan. The Korean Cultural Center New York (Director Lee Jeong-mi) will hold the first New York Korean Independent Film Festival (NYKIFF) for 11 days, from Thursday, Oct. 15, to Sunday, Oct. 25, at its theater at 122 E. 32nd St. in Manhattan. All screenings are free, and films with Korean dialogue will have English subtitles.
The inaugural festival was programmed in collaboration with major Korean film festivals, including the Seoul Independent Film Festival, Jeonju International Film Festival, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Muju Film Festival and Miseenscène Short Film Festival, drawing on their award winners and buzzworthy titles. A total of 15 films will be shown: 10 features and five shorts spanning narrative films, documentaries and thrillers. The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) New York Center and Netflix are participating as special partners. The center said it organized the festival to expand overseas screening opportunities for outstanding Korean independent films and to foster exchange between Korean filmmakers and New York's film community.
Opening Film "Stars and Sand," Closing Film "The World of Love"
The opening film, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15, is "Stars and Sand" by director Gam Jeong-won, winner of the Grand Prize at the 51st Seoul Independent Film Festival. Gam and cinematographer Choi Chang-hwan will take part in an audience talk after the screening, followed by a networking reception. On the festival's final day, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m., the closing film is "The World of Love" by director Yoon Ga-eun, who won Best Director in the film category at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards.
In the feature program, director Lee Won-young and producer Lim Jeong-eun of "The Glimmering," the Grand Prize winner at the Muju Film Festival, and director Kim Myeon-woo and producer Kim Seon-ah of the documentary "Karma," a Jeonju International Film Festival award winner, will visit New York to meet audiences in person. Other distinctive titles on the program include "Fins," "Truman's Love," "Ray's Winter Break," "Mountain Goats," "The Butcher's Only Son" and "Soap."
At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, a special Miseenscène Short Film Festival section, organized with the KOCCA New York Center and Netflix, will be held. Five winners from the 22nd festival will be screened: "Aunt Seon-hui," "Mis-aim," "Vietnam Bodhisattva," "Noise Canceling" and "Holding Seo." Directors Wi Eun-gyeong, Son Gwang-min, Kim Geun-ho, Choi Ji-hye and Park Jeong-su, along with Jang Yeong-yeop, head of the film weekly Cine21, will join the audience for a discussion. At 4 p.m. the same day, a special panel talk on the theme "Seoul × New York: Independent Film Today" will also be held.
Reservations and Admission
All screenings are free, but advance reservations (RSVP) are required and can be made for each film on the center's website (koreanculture.org). Seating is first come, first served, and reserved seats are released to walk-up standby guests 10 minutes before showtime, so arriving early is advised. Even for sold-out screenings, a limited number of same-day standby tickets will be available. Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Hwang Tae-hyun, the center's film program director who organized the festival, said, "Korea's independent film scene has many outstanding works with world-class competitiveness, but because of limits in screening and distribution, opportunities to introduce them overseas have been far too scarce." He added, "Through this festival, we will spread the word about the value of Korean independent film locally, and we will continue to create practical opportunities for Korean creators to be recognized and to thrive on the international stage." For inquiries, contact film@koreanculture.org or call 212-759-9550, ext. 209.