Son Ye-jin in “The Last Princess”
Flicks of three of Korea’s biggest stars who are well loved by Filipinos—Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin and Park Seo-joon—are featured at the ongoing Korean Film Festival (KFF) 2020, titled “Celebrity Spotlight,” that runs until Oct. 2.
“We appreciate the fact that many Filipinos have welcomed K-drama and K-culture more into their lives during this quarantine,” said Im Young-a, director of Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines.
Ye-jin in “Be With You”
“We are hoping that through the Korean Film Festival and the films of Filipino household names Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, and Park Seo-joon, we can offer a form of relief and some enjoyment to those who are having a hard time now. Hopefully, we can all heal from this and overcome the pandemic together,” Im said.
Viewers may binge, for free, on two of the best films from each of these stars for a week, Im announced.
Everybody’s favorite oppa Hyun Bin opened the festival with the screening of his two films “The Swindlers” and “Confidential Assignment” from Sept. 12 to 18.
These will be followed by Son Ye-jin’s films “Be With You” and “The Last Princess,” which will be screened from Sept. 19 to 25.
Finally, to wrap up the 21-day festival, “Midnight Runners” and “The Beauty Inside” of another oppa—Park Seo-joon—will run from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2.
Hyun Bin in “The Swindlers”
Like many events, this year’s KFF will be taking on a different shape because of the coronavirus pandemic. “We had to shift our events to digital for the K-culture enthusiasts to be safe,” Im announced.
According to Im, KFF 2020 is one of the landmark events of KCC’s “Korea at Home” campaign, which aims to “bring musical performances, food, arts, pop culture, movies, museum exhibits and tours right on the screens of the K-culture enthusiasts for them to enjoy anytime, anywhere and while staying safe at home.”
Seo-joon in “The Beauty Inside”
The first online free KFF will be available to Filipino K-culture lovers through KCC’s official website at phil.korean-culture.org.
Raffle prizes, which include K-culture items and Korean cosmetic sets, will be awarded to 10 participants who will be taking on the KCC survey for the festival.
KFF 2020 is organized by KCC and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, in partnership with Korea Tourism Organization, Viva Networks and Film Development Council of the Philippines. INQ
Park Seo-joon (right) with Kang Ha-neul in “Midnight Runners”