Guests attend the Opening Night red carpet at The 1st Los Angeles Korean Film Festival (LAKFF), September 24, 2026, at Harmony Gold Preview House in Hollywood.
Opening Night audiences at Harmony Gold Preview House in Hollywood during The 1st Los Angeles Korean Film Festival (LAKFF), September 24, 2026.
The three-day festival drew approximately 2,200 cumulative audience visits, bringing Korean filmmakers and Hollywood talent together.
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Film is more than just entertainment. It is an art that connects different cultures and people.”— Haedon Lee, Director, KCCLALOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The inaugural Los Angeles Korean Film Festival (LAKFF), which showcased emerging voices and varied trends within Korean cinema, wrapped up its three-day event running from September 24 through 26. Hosted and arranged by the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles (Director Haedon Lee), the festival attracted roughly 2,200 attendees across its three days and showcased a lineup of 19 films—encompassing Korean independent and arthouse works, genre pieces, short films from up-and-coming directors, and projects employing AI technology—providing local viewers and filmmakers with the wide-ranging scope and artistic richness of Korean cinema.
Operating under the theme “New Waves, New Voices,” the festival was held at Harmony Gold Preview House on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles. The 334-seat venue was packed for Opening Night, and many of the major screenings and Q&A sessions throughout the three days sold out ahead of time, reaffirming the strong enthusiasm among local audiences.
Korean filmmakers and performers, such as Director Kim Jee-woon, actor Yoo Ji-tae, and Director Yoon Ga-eun along with actress Seo Su-bin of the opening film The World of Love, walked the Opening Night red carpet. Additionally, LA-based filmmakers—including Director Maggie Kang of the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters, as well as actors Kevin Woo, Ji-young Yoo, and Alicia Hannah-Kim—participated in the event, highlighting active collaboration between the Korean and American film industries via Korean cinema.
Actor Yoo Ji-tae remarked during Opening Night, “I am happy to have the opportunity to share the potential of Korean cinema and the direction in which it can develop.” Director Maggie Kang stressed the ongoing necessity for festivals such as this, stating, “It is very meaningful that an event celebrating Korean cinema is being held in LA, the city where films are made,” in light of expanding worldwide interest in Korean cinema and Korean narratives.
Showcasing the Full Range of Korean Cinema
Director Yoon Ga-eun’s The World of Love, which served as the opening film, was invited to the Platform section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and earned the FIPRESCI Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival. Director Yoon Ga-eun and actress Seo Su-bin took part in a post-screening Q&A with the audience, delving into the film’s themes and creative process. Director Yoon described the LA screening as “feeling like I was inside the heart of cinema,” and maintained an engaging dialogue with attendees regarding the violence and wounds examined in the film, as well as life after enduring them.
The “Spotlight” segment, which emphasized the work of Director Kim Jee-woon and actor Yoo Ji-tae, featured representative films including A Tale of Two Sisters and One Fine Spring Day, and offered chances for viewers to meet the director and actor directly. Actor Yoo Ji-tae spoke with the audience following the September 25 screening of One Fine Spring Day, while Director Kim Jee-woon, after the September 26 closing-day screening of A Tale of Two Sisters, participated in a deep and thoughtful discussion about how Korean themes and stories connect with audiences worldwide through genre cinema.
Programs highlighting new directions in Korean cinema continued throughout the festival. The Fin, an official selection from the 78th Locarno International Film Festival, had its North American premiere, with Director Park Se-young and actor Go Woo present to talk with audiences about the film.
The “Next Scene” section included seven award-winning films from the 2026 Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival. Among those, Directors Wi Eun-kyung and Son Gwang-min of My Aunt—which took home honors including Best Film and Best Actor—took part in a Q&A and showcased the inventive worlds of Korean short films and emerging directors.
The “AI & Cinema” program featured the Korean-produced AI short films Sigumun and Fragment of Falling and examined how progress in AI technology influences filmmaking and the creative landscape, along with the role of creators. Director Jeon Ye-rin, co-director of Sigumun, joined remotely from Korea, while Hollywood screenwriter, producer, and AI content strategist Matt Allen and LA-based producer, director, and VFX supervisor Erick Geisler served as panelists, offering varied viewpoints based on their hands-on experience in the field.
“It Was Great to Experience a Variety of Korean Films”
Local attendees at the festival showed considerable appreciation for the chance to view not just mainstream Korean films, but also independent and arthouse works and pieces exploring new formats all in one venue, together with their enthusiasm for Korean cinema.
One audience member noted, “It was a very good opportunity to experience a variety of Korean cinema in one place, beyond major Korean films that are usually more accessible,” adding, “I hope such meaningful programs will continue in the future.”
Director Haedon Lee of the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles stated at Opening Night, “Film is more than just entertainment. It is an art that connects different cultures and people,” outlining the festival’s goal and importance in delivering a wide array of Korean films and creators to LA audiences.
Building on the strong local audience interest and the exchanges with the Korean and LA film industries confirmed through this first festival, the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles intends to keep introducing a diverse range of Korean films and creators to LA audiences and strengthen ties with the local U.S. film industry.
The festival was conducted in partnership with the Korean Film Council (Chairman Han Sang-jun), the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, the King Sejong Institute Foundation U.S. Office (Director Han Kwang-hyun), and KALH. Programmer Kim Young-woo was responsible for curating all the films shown at the festival. Urban Creator Inc. acted as the festival’s management agency.
Yunjun Cho
Urban Creator Inc
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