Connecting East and West, Emerging Artist Groups, Virtually for the Second Time 

Thanks to the ever-increasing popularity of Hallyu (the Korean Wave), many Canadians are eager to discover the work of Korean women filmmakers. Continuing from the 7th edition of the Korean Film Festival Canada (KFFC), this year KFFC presents the second and final edition of the series theme Women’s Lives and Perspectives in the Korean Film: Narratives Beyond Borders (1950-2021, Series II).  

Presented in partnership with the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Montreal, the 8th edition of the KFFC is pleased to present over 45 classic and contemporary films in an expanded virtual festival format. This year’s films are created by directors living in Korea, Canada, and across the world, in relation to the theme Women’s Lives and Perspectives.

Reflective of the festival’s motto Connecting East and West, KFFC’s open film platform offers audiences the opportunities to overcome physical distances and boundaries and invites viewers to discover new films and media art pieces. Through the varied subjects and diverse perspectives of these films, the festival’s audience will be informed about important social and political issues impacting Korea and the Korean diaspora. The festival’s Artistic Director and Founder Mi-Jeong Lee (artist, scholar) believes:

“The perception of women and works of Korean Cinema deserves to be re-evaluated. Through a reflection of the classical film era to today’s cinema era, growth and change can be observed.”


The festival also serves as a platform for emerging artists of diverse personal and creative backgrounds to showcase their work. The entire 2021 KFFC lineup will launch on the festival’s website on September 7, 2021, where you can learn more about the incredible lineup and purchase festival tickets. A single ticket is available for purchase for $6.50 and a festival pass is $19.50.

Festival Programming: A Few to Mention 

Building on last year’s theme Narratives Beyond Borders: The Korean Cinema by Women Directors, the 2021 festival has expanded its selection criteria and centers on the perspectives of female protagonists created by directors of all genders. KFFC aims to showcase diverse, dynamic and intersectional perspectives of gendered experiences of nationhood and identity. This year’s 2021 Festival features include Widow (1955) by PARK Nam-Ok, Insect Woman (1972) by KIM Ki-Young, The House of Hummingbird (2018) by KIM Bora, The Woman Who Ran by Hong Sang-Soo and many others. 

In addition to the KFFC’s diverse film section, the festival is also pleased to present multimedia conferences for the festival’s ART-Talks series. Presented in partnership with Asian Art Publication Lab, the ART-Talks series showcases 2-5 minute audio-visual essays (auto-biographical or analytic documentary style), conventional presentations, and essays by researchers, writers, directors, and actors from around the world. 

Our new section SIDE-BY-SIDE for international films is also now available for viewing. SIDE-BY-SIDE offers audiences a chance to engage with the overall festival theme of “Women’s Perspective” extensively at the festival’s virtual screenings, offering audiences a chance to immerse themselves into another reality other than their own.

ART-Talks 

In 2020, ART-Talks was launched as a new form of a multimedia conference with KFFC festival partner Asian Arts Publication Lab (AAPL). ART-Talks takes an intersectional approach to conferences by combining theoretical and practical explorations of “Women’s Perspective” in Korean, Canadian, and other Asian cultures.

This year’s ART-Talks presentations include autobiographical essays, interviews, academic texts, photo essays, and more. Driven by this year’s theme, Women’s Lives and Perspectives: Narratives Beyond Borders, ART-Talks focuses on the many cultural and environmental subjects presented in films and also offers a glimpse into gender politics. With the public’s positive response and its popularity without timeline limits, a new section of EMERGENTS has invited university students and researchers to contribute. The Emergents section explores works by emerging researchers and artists. ART-Talks is accepting essays until August 30, 2021, via the KFFC website.


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