K-CineFest: Globally Acclaimed Korean Films
Presented by the Korean Cultural Center New York
Thursday, February 29th ~ Saturday, March 9th, 2024
Korean Cultural Center New York
(122 E 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016)
Ticket: FREE (RSVP REQUIRED); Limited same-day standby tickets available
* All seating is first come, first served
* If you have any questions, please contact to film@koreanculture.org
The Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY) is excited to announce a special series of Korean film screenings, commemorating the grand opening of our new building and theater.
“K-CineFest: Globally Acclaimed Korean Films” will feature 6 curated films set to celebrate the richness and diversity of Korean cinema, offering a unique opportunity for cultural exchange and appreciation. Spanning various genres and styles, these films aim to engage cinephiles and enthusiasts alike, fostering a deeper understanding and connection to Korean culture.
K-CineFest showcases six critically acclaimed films that have shaped the landscape of Korean cinema over the past five years. From the haunting beauty of Past Lives (2023) and the dystopian vision of Concrete Utopia (2023), to the groundbreaking Parasite (2019), the poignant romance of Decision to Leave (2022), the heartfelt journey of Minari (2020), and the thrilling Escape from Mogadishu (2021), each film has been selected to celebrate the richness and diversity of Korean cinema.
Guests are allowed a maximum of 2 tickets per order with RSVP.
Please read carefully below for more information:
* Ticket Holders:
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
All seating is first-come, first-served.
Your tickets will be released to the standby line 10 minutes before the show, so we recommend you arrive early to secure your seats.
* Standby Entry:
There are a limited number of tickets available for the standby line day of, and additional seats may become available on a first-come, first-served basis only.
Standby line will form on the 1st floor at 122 E. 32nd Street, NYC.
We cannot guarantee admission for those in the standby line, but we will do our best to accommodate as many guests as possible.
[More about the films]
* All films featuring Korean dialogue will have English subtitles available.
Past Lives
Feb 29 (Thu), 2024, 7 pm
*There will be a casual reception after the screening.
Written and Directed by Celine Song
Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Running Time 106 minutes
Release Year 2023
Rating PG-13
(Underage audiences accompanied with a parent or guardian are allowed.)
Synopsis
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are torn apart after Nora’s family emigrated from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.
Concrete Utopia(콘크리트 유토피아)
Mar 1 (Fri), 2024, 7 pm
Directed by UM Tae-hwa
Starring
LEE Byung-hun, PARK Seo-jun, KIM Sun-young
Running Time 130 minutes
Release Year 2023
Rating Film intended for audiences 15 and over - This rating is by the Korea Media Rating Board
(Underage audiences accompanied with a parent or guardian are allowed.)
Synopsis
An earthquake renders much of Seoul a smoldering ruin in the opening minutes of this post-apocalyptic epic thriller. But as survivors begin efforts to restore order, it seems the real calamity has only just begun.
Decision to Leave(헤어질 결심)
Mar 2 (Sat), 2024, 3:30pm
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Starring Park Hae-il, Tang Wei
Running Time 138 minutes
Release Year 2022
Rating Film intended for audiences 15 and over - This rating is by the Korea Media Rating Board
(Underage audiences accompanied with a parent or guardian are allowed.)
Synopsis
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il, The Host) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei, Lust, Caution) may know more than she initially lets on. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, Hae-joon finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
Escape from Mogadishu(모가디슈)
Mar 7 (Thu), 2024, 7pm
Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan
Starring Kim Yoon-seok, Zo In-sung, Heo Joon-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan
Running Time 121 minutes
Release Year 2021
Rating R
(Underage audiences accompanied with a parent or guardian are allowed.)
Synopsis
Dramatically constructed based on a true story: as civil war rages in Mogadishu, rival North, and South Korean diplomats are left trapped. With no aid from either government, their only shot at survival may require uniting with bitter adversaries to escape.
Parasite(기생충)
Mar 8 (Fri), 2024, 7pm
Directed by Bong Joon Ho
Starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam
Running Time 132 minutes
Release Year 2019
Rating R
(Underage audiences accompanied with a parent or guardian are allowed.)
Synopsis
Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks.
Minari(미나리)
Mar 9 (Sat), 2024, 3:30pm
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
Starring Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Scott Haze, with Yuh-Jung Youn and Will Patton
Running Time 115 minutes
Release Year 2020
Rating PG-13
(Underage audiences accompanied with a parent or guardian are allowed.)
Synopsis
The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.