Korean film festivals held in succession in LA and Hawaii

(Los Angeles = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Kyung-yoon = Festivals related to Korean films will be held one after another in Los Angeles (LA), California, and Hawaii.

The Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles announced on the 5th that it will hold the '1st Los Angeles Korean Film Festival' (LAKFF) at Harmony Gold Preview House from the 24th to 26th (local time) and show 19 Korean films to local audiences in the center of Hollywood.

The opening film is 'Masters of the World', a film that was in competition at last year's Toronto International Film Festival. Director Yoon Ga-eun and actor Seo Soo-bin, who are in charge of directing, will personally participate in the opening ceremony and meet the audience.

Director Kim Ji-woon and actor Yoo Ji-tae will also participate in the festival, and will appear as guests and talk to the audience after screening major works such as 'One Fine Spring Day' and 'The Red Lotus', respectively.

In addition, 'Fin' (directed by Park Se-young), which was selected in the new talent competition section at the Locarno International Film Festival, will be screened in North America for the first time, and seven award-winning films from the 2026 Korea Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival will also be shown to local audiences for the first time.

All programs are conducted free of charge.

In Hawaii, the '2026 Hawaii Korean Independent Film Festival' will be held at the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Doris Duke Theater from the 25th to the 27th of this month.

This is the first Korean independent film festival held in Hawaii and will feature 9 Korean independent feature-length and short films, including 'Super Dining', 'People and Meat', and 'Hawaiian Sonata'.

Actor Ye Soo-jung and director Lee Yun-jeong plan to visit Hawaii in person and talk with the audience.

This event is planned by the Honolulu Museum of Art and the non-profit organization Now Production and sponsored by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu and the Hawaii Tourism Board.

An official from the Consulate General explained, "Korea and Hawaii have maintained a friendly relationship that began with the history of the first Korean immigrants over 120 years ago," and added, "The independent film festival was held to provide Hawaii residents with an opportunity to experience more diverse aspects of Korea."