1st London East Asia Film Festival Programme Announced

Posted on September 21, 2016

(Source: London East Asia Film Festival YouTube)

The London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF) organizers previously announced that they will be presenting the retrospective of Park Chan-wook and having Kim Jee-woon’s Age of Shadows as this year’s opening film on 20 October. At yesterday’s press conference, the festival director Jeon Hye-jung has announced 40 films that will be screened as their 1st edition of London East Asia Film Festival. The wide range of films are from South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. The wonderful selection of films includes a focus on The Stories of Women (in partnership with Regent Street Cinema and association with Pan Asian Women’s Association (PAWA)), special feature through collaboration with Jeonju International Film Festival and Competition that provides new and emerging directors the platform to be nurtured and exposed to the UK film industry.

Along with the opening film The Age of Shadows, a period drama Gosanja (The Map Against the World) (starring Cha Seung-won) about Kim Jeong-ha creates an accurate map of Korean East land and Tunnel (starring Ha Jung-woo) about Lee Jung-soo surviving in the collapsed tunnel will be shown at the film festival. Supported by Picturehouse Cinema, the retrospective of Park Chan-wook features The Handmaiden and the stunning 4K restoration of Lady Vengeance as part of the famous ‘Vengeance Trilogy‘ along with his short films.

(Source: London East Asia Film Festival YouTube)

In the Competition strand, the films will be judged by film critic Wendy Ide, esteemed juror Mosen Makhmalbaf and Singaporean director/producer Anthony Chen. Karaoke Crazies is about Sung-wook asking for Ha-suck’s help to improve the karaoke’s business that has been slow. Goodbye Single is based on a self-centred actress who decides to become a single mom. The World of Us focuses on loyalty, friendship and bullying through the story of young Sun and Jia.

The World of Us will be screened in the Stories of Women section along with heartfelt film Spirit’s Homecoming that depicts the stories of young ‘comfort women’ who went through pain and struggles during the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1943. Jeonju International Film Festival, as this year’s festival focus, celebrates the independent cinema in Korea today. The selection includes black comedy The Great Patriots, in-depth documentary about older female divers in Jeju Island Breathing Underwater and Shakespearean twist about a playwright directing a play in Mingi Theater Co. The Curtain Call.

Here are the Korean films that are going to be shown at LEAFF 2016.

Official Selection

Opening Film: The Age of Shadows |밀정| Kim Jee-Woon | 2016 | South Korea | 140min | Q&A
Gosanja, The Map Against The World | 고산자 | Kang Woo Suk | 2016 | South Korea | 129min | Q&A
Tunnel | 터널 | Kim Seong-hun | 2016 | South Korea | 126min | Q&A

Retrospective of Park Chan-wook

The Handmaiden | 아가씨 | Park Chan-wook | 2016 | South Korea | 145min | Q&A
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance | 복수는 나의 것 | Park Chan-wook | 2002 | South Korea | 239min
Old Boy | 올드보이 | Park Chan-wook | 2003 | South Korea | 120min
Lady Vengeance 4K | 친절한 금자씨 | Park Chan-wook | 2005 | South Korea | 115min
Stoker | 스토커 | Park Chan-wook | 2013 | South Korea | 99min
Day Trip | 청출어람 | Park Chan-wook | 2012 | South Korea | 18min
Joint Security Area | 공동경비구역 JSA | Park Chan-wook | 2000 | South Korea | 110min
Thirst | 박쥐 | Park Chan-wook | 2009 | South Korea | 133min
Judgement | 심판 | Park Chan-wook | 1999 | South Korea | 26 min
I’m Cyborg, But That’s Okay | 싸이보그지만 괜찮아 | Park Chan-wook | 2006 | South Korea | 105min
Bitter, Sweet, Seoul | 고진감래 | Park Chan-wook | 2014 | South Korea | 63min

Competition

Karaoke Crazies | 중독노래방 | Kim Sang-chan | 2016 | South Korea | 106min | Q&A
Goodbye Single | 굿바이 싱글 | Kim Tae-gon | 2016 | South Korea | 119min | Q&A
The World of Us | 우리들 | Yoon Ga Eun | 2016 | South Korea | 94min | Q&A

Stories of Women

The World of Us | 우리들 | Yoon Ga Eun | 2016 | South Korea | 94min | Q&A
Spirits’ Homecoming | 귀향 | Cho Jung-rae | 2016 | South Korea | 127min | Q&A | European Premiere

Film Festival Focus: Jeonju International Film Festival