This year’s festival slogan, The many faces of Korean cinema brings to light the talented filmmakers, actors and actresses who make up the exciting new wave of Korean cinema, as we aim to bridge the connection between Korea and Australia. In the lead up to the festival we will be profiling some of our favourite personalities, as well as asking you who some of your favs are, so stay tuned! We are delighted to announce that in Sydney and Brisbane KOFFIA will held at the multiplexes of Event Cinemas! KOFFIA has grown leaps and bounds in its short history, with almost 10,000 people attending to date, and we believe this expansion will see the next evolutionary step in the life of the festival. In Melbourne KOFFIA will once again take place at ACMI Cinemas, Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Federation Square, a longtime festival partner.

Running from Aug 14 – Sep 11, KOFFIA 2013 will see 50 screenings take place across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The program includes Kim Ki-duk’s Venice Golden Lion winning Pieta, Kim Ji-hoon’s latest disaster flick The Tower, and some of the biggest Korean blockbusters in history The Thieves and A Werewolf Boy. A notion for diversity will be represented through documentaries, independent films and shorts, including the K-pop doco 9 Muses of Star Empire and Kim Dong-ho’s Jury. Look out for details of our annual initiatives including the KOFFIA Sopoong school activity session and the KOFFIA 2013 Short Film Comp, which offers up $6,000 worth of cash and prizes for local filmmakers, both of which will be open for applications very shortly! We have much more to announce so watch this space, and see you at the festival!

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The festival will be held at the legendary, iconic Tribal Theatre in the heart of Brisbane and will allow Queenslanders to discover their connection to Korean cinema and culture. Korean culture is rapidly gaining popularity in the Sunshine state as the number of restaurants grow, and more Koreans are choosing Queensland as their next holiday destination. Now these cultures will be connected with a week of festivities at the Korean Film Festival.

The festival will begin with a bang: with an Opening Reception to mark KOFFIA’s arrival in Brisbane, followed by the highest grossing film at the Korean box office in 2011, the epic action flick WAR OF THE ARROWS. The festival will later close with, Korea’s official submission to the Academy Awards, THE FRONTLINE, which tells the story of the final days of the Korean War. Our Closing Night Ceremony will also celebrate Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) with plenty of rice cakes and a special performance by the Arirang Quartet (Queensland Korean Orchestra) to mark this special occasion.

Throughout the next four days, KOFFIA will feature a range of Korean films – from the feel good comedy SCANDAL MAKERS, to the ultimate revenge and cult classic OLDBOY. From the family animated adventure LEAFIE A HEN INTO THE WILD, to the intense courtroom drama THE CLIENT. This year’s program will present a look at various aspects of Korea’s rich history and culture, as well as it’s growing film industry.

Complementing this year’s program will be a variety of cultural performances, live music events and industry talks featuring special guests including Maxine Williamson (Asia Pacific Screen Awards), Prof. Kim Hong-joon (Korea National University of the Arts), Jeong In-hee (Line Producer of ‘OLDBOY’), Dr. Tim Milfull (Queensland University of Technology) and Garry Williams (4ZZZ-FM).

Tickets are priced between $10-14 and multipasses are also available for groups of 4. Tickets are available to purchase online via Tribal Theatre’s website or by visiting the box office at Tribal Theatre. KOFFIA program guides can be picked up from Tribal Theatre, or you might spot them at some local Korean restaurants, so be on the look out!

For more information, visit our website www.koffia.com.au!

We hope to see you there!

The performances will be held outside our venues during the festival, all provided free to the general public. We wish for you to come to the venue early or stay late after a screening, and enjoy their beautiful and powerful performances.

Sydney

August 22nd Opening Performance: Traditional Korean Fan Dance by Hyun Kim 6:30pm
August 24th Cult Doubleheader with Gangster Dress-up Contest 10:00pm
August 26th Cultural Event:  GANGNAM STYLE Flashmob Circular Quay by Jaye, Crossover Dance Studios 2:00pm
August 27th Cultural Event:  Jazz Performance by Gai Bryant Jazz Trio 5:45pm
August 28th Closing Performance:  Cello Quartet Reception by David Popper Cello Quartet (Minah Choe) 8:30pm

Event schedule and line-up for Melbourne and Brisbane to be announced soon!

KOFFIA Style Flashmob (Free Entry)

- Practise Dance Lesson, August 18th 4:30pm-6:00pm @Korean Cultural Office: Come along and learn the moves of PSY as Jaye from Crossover Dance Studios take you through the moves!

- Flash Mob, August 20th 12pm @Martin Place: Now its the time to show off your moves as we dance KOFFIA Style in the heart of Sydney!

Get involved: Email dspark@koreanculture.org.au

International Short Film Showcase (Free Entry)

- Session A Panorama, August 24th 2pm @Korean Cultural Office: A selection of award winning short films fresh from screening at major festivals

- Session B School Days, August 27th 2pm @Korean Cultural Office: A diverse range of dramas, comedies and documentaries looking at the pressures of high school life

Korean Cult Cinema Doubleheader ($20 for 2 films)

- The King of Pigs with Guest Video Introduction, August 24th 8pm @ Dendy Opera Quays: Catch the next-gen of Korean animation with “The King of Pigs” plus a special video introduction by the Director Yeun Sang-ho

- Oldboy with Gangster Dressup content, August 24th 10pm @ Dendy Opera Quays: Prize giveaways and a gangster dressup contest (put on your best suit!) will build the anticipation and excitement for the must see Korean movie of all time, the crime classic “Old Boy”.

Bookings: Email your interest to book@koffia.com.au

A Very KOFFIA Christmas (Regular ticket price)

- Free Noggi frozen yoghurt ice-cream, August 25th 6:30pm @ Dendy Opera Quays: Choose your own toppings as you get a taste of the delicious Noggi icecream! A perfect fit for the melodrama classic you are about to watch as we mark KOFFIA Christmas on the 25th of August.

- Christmas in August with lucky door prize, August 25th 7:00pm @ Dendy Opera Quays: The quintessential Korean romance that is a must see on the big screen, plus lucky door prizes to make it a great night out.

The panel got down and busy to view the overwhelming amount of submissions this year. There was a lot of talent and promise in this year’s films and the decision was hard but here they are…

To be presented before our Competition Jury including our guest Director from Korea…

The finalists for this year’s KOFFIA Short Film Competition!

Finalists

1. For Molonglo (몰롱로를 위하여)

Dir HORN Benny, BADWHAR Kush, 2012, 16:50 min, English & Korean w English Subtitles | Cast Elizabeth Lee | Institution UMAQ

2. Hoju (호주)

Dir GIBSON Liam, 2012, 10:27 min, English & Korean w English & Subtitles | Cast Liam Gibson| Institution UTS

3. Immigrants and Cigarettes (이민자와 담배)

Dir KANG Mike, 2012, 16:48 min, English w/English Subtitles | Cast Robin Queree, Felino Dolloso | Institution UMAQ

4. Maux Doux (달콤한 악)

Dir LEE Andrew, 2012, 6:40 min, No Dialogue | Cast Cédric Bonneau | Institution UTS

5. Remorse (후회)

Dir GHERTASSI Hossein, 2012, 6:18 min, No Dialogue | Cast Chase Lee| Institution UTS

6. Roll On (롤 온)

Dir  KELLY Amelia, 2012, 8:00 min, English and Korean w/English subtitles | Institution Metroscreen

7. Unfamiliar Sense (낯선땅에서)

Dir  LEE Sup, 2010, 9:28 min, Korean w/English subtitles | Cast Dae Ho Jin | Institution UTS

8. The Way He Arrived (그가 도착한 방식)

Dir ROOKE Matthew, 2012, 2:40 min, English & Korean w English & Korean Subtitles | Cast Tez Frost, Jo Star | Institution RMIT

The Screening

Once again we congratulate all of the filmmakers that entered the competition this year. It was great to see such enthusiasm for both filmmaking and expressing cultural exchange between Korea and Australia. These 8 films will compete for prizes that value $5,000 so good luck to all!

Make sure to check out these entries at the 1st KOFFIA Short Film Competition, taking place from 12pm on Saturday August 25th.

Tickets are now on sale, and are just $10 for film students. Along with the official awards ceremony and a special screening of Hong Sang-soo’s short film Lost in the Mountains, you will also have the chance to vote in the audience choice award!

See you at the festival!

KOFFIA will showcase 20 of the best and latest Korean feature films as well as a few past classics, in a diverse program that will allow audiences to discover their connection to Korean cinema and culture. Audiences will once again be treated to a feast of Korean festivities taking place at Dendy Opera Quays in Sydney and ACMI Cinemas Federation Square in Melbourne. While for the first time selected titles will also screen at Tribal Theatre in Brisbane, as August and September sees 16 days of screenings across the Australian east coast.

The festival will open in Sydney on August 22^nd with the Australian premiere of the highest grossing Korean film of 2011, WAR OF THE ARROWS. Set during the second Manchu Invasion of Korea, the action packed epic follows Nam-yi, a young archer who must save his little sister from slavery and avenge his demolished village. The film won a plethora of prizes awarded to great performances by Park Hae-il, Ryoo Seung-ryong and new comer Moon Chae-won.

A week later, the festival will close with the Australian premiere of SUNNY, a warm nostalgic comedy revolving around a group of middle age women who reminisce about the fun and adventures of their childhood. Director Kang Hyeong-cheol, who picked up the Best Director prize from the 48^th Daejong Film Awards, will be in attendance to present his film, .

These two films are represented in a new Panorama section the festival has added to its programming, that focuses on the latest critically acclaimed and commercially successful films from Korea. This section includes Korea’s official submission for the Academy Awards THE FRONTLINE, the senior citizen romance hit LATE BLOSSOM and Im Sang-soo’s THE TASTE OF MONEY fresh from screening at the 65^th Cannes Film Festival.

Rounding out the Panorama section are two films from world renowned auteur Hong Sang-soo, as the festival presents the Sydney premiere’s of IN ANOTHER COUNTRY starring Isabelle Huppert and the black and white tale THE DAY HE ARRIVES.

The festival will also take a look at a lineup of Modern Classics, films from the recent past that had discovered worldwide followings. Park Chan-wook’s OLDBOY, Hur Jin-ho’s CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST and Kim Ki-duk’s SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN WINTER … AND SPRING will screen in all 3 states, partnered with industry forums and guest speakers to discuss these nominal pieces of Korean cinema. The festival will celebrate it’s own KOFFIA Christmas reception at the August 25^th screening of CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST in Sydney.

This year, the lineup has expanded to include a wider range of films that sees feature Animations screen for the first time. LEAFIE: A HEN INTO THE WILD, the highest grossing Korean animation of all time, will have its Australian premiere, while the 1^st ever Korean film to screen in competition at Sydney Film Festival, THE KING OF PIGS also screens. A strong Documentary program will compliment this trend for diversity, that includes ARIRANG, the inaugural winner of the Brisbane International Film Festival’s documentary prize, and THE REASON WHY I STEP about Korean folk musician Baek Ja.

Finally a spectrum on genre will see a heavy selection of K-Comedy and K-Mystery titles represented, that includes the 2012 rom-com smash hit ALL ABOUT MY WIFE, the courtroom drama THE CLIENT, the award winning BLEAK NIGHT, the period comedy DETECTIVE K, Kang Hyeong-cheol’s SPEEDY SCANDAL and controversial thriller SILENCED.

Industry forums on animation and cult cinema, as well as cultural activities and school screenings will allow for a deeper connection to the films. The festival will close in Brisbane on September 30^th with a special Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving) reception.

The inaugural KOFFIA Short Film Competition will see the best shorts made by Koreans or Australians studying film downunder on the big screen that sees a total of $5,000 in cash and prizes awarded. The awards are supported by Metro Screen, The University of Sydney Faculty of Art, and NIDA National Institute of Dramatic Art. The awards will be chosen and presented by jury members Bruce Isaacs (USYD), Richard Gray (The Reel Bits), Karen Pearlman (AFTRS), Robbie Gadsbey (Metro Screen) and visiting director Kang Hyeong-cheol. Screening alongside the entries will be a special presentation of Hong Sang-soo’s LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS.

A special showcase on Korean short films from filmmakers based all across the globe will screen in Sydney as a free program at the Korean Cultural Office. Highlights include SEE YOU TOMORROW and ANESTHESIA direct from the 2012 Berlin Film Festival, previous Cannes selections FLY BY NIGHT and GHOST as well as the recent crowd-funded phenomenon REMEMBER O GODDESS. The showcase will highlight a program on School Days, shorts that cover the many complex issues faced by high school students, and includes 2 documentry selections from the United States, MAKING NOISE IN SILENCE and EXAMINATION.

20 features, 13 shorts and the 1^st KOFFIA Short Film Competition, in a lineup that is complemented with forums, galas, Q&A’s and performances. Korean cinema is a perfect gateway to discovering more about this vibrant culture. We invite all attendees to explore what Korean cinema means to you and to let KOFFIA bring you together with others that share this passion. We are after all inevitably connected through the silver screen, even to the person sitting next to you in a dark theatre.

Tickets will go on sale 3 weeks prior to the festival in each state. It’s time to discover your connection!

For the first time KOFFIA will present a selection of the best and latest short films from Korean filmmakers based all across the world. This International Short Film Showcase will see 11 Australian Premieres and 1 Sydney premiere take place across 3 categories in this free program at KOFFIA 2012.

Check below for the line-up and read about our 3 categories, PANORAMA, K-MYSTERY and SCHOOL DAYS.

PANORAMA

Son Tae-gyum’s ‘Fly By Night’
A group of award-winning films direct from major international festivals, includes Kim Souk-young’s Anesthesia (Official Competition, Berlin International Film Festival 2012), Son Tae-gyum’s Fly By Night (Cinefondation Prize, Cannes Film Festival 2012) and Yoon Ga-eun’s Guest (Vancouver International Film Festival 2011).

Get your entries in for the 2012 KOFFIA Short Film Competition!

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2012 KOFFIA Short Film Competition.