The UP Korean Film Festival was launched on March 13, 2019, marking the 70th anniversary of Philippines-Korea bilateral relations.
Held in the UP Diliman Cine Adarna from March 13 to 15, the festival featured seven films for free public viewing, beginning with Choo Chang-min’s top-grossing historical film Masquerade (2012).
The UP Korean Research Center (UP-KRC) in partnership with the UP Film Institute (UPFI) and the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) organized the festival to provide an opportunity for the public to see quality Korean films, disseminate Korean culture, and broaden perspectives on Korean society.
“I hope there will be more opportunities in UP to hold such events,” KCC Director Lee Jin Cheol said in his message to the festival goers.
Lee Jin Cheol, Aldrin Lee, and Patrick Campos, the directors of KCC, UP-KRC, and UPFI, , respectively, opened the festival, which they hope to hold annually. “Films are very important instruments for understanding and there are things that films could articulate that we could not in everyday life,” KRC’s Lee said.
The other feature films were Miracle in Cell No. 7, Sunny, Poetry, Fish Out of Water, Oldboy, and In Between Days. Noting the roster of films, Lee Jin Cheol said: “I am very much surprised with the UP Korea Research Center for its deep understanding and very serious approach to Korean culture and society.”
