On February 11 at 8 pm (local time), the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) held the Korean Film Night in the Koreanisches Kulturzentrum (Korean Cultural Center) of Berlin, Germany. The event was organized by the Korean Cultural Center in collaboration with KOFIC to celebrate the achievements of the Korean films invited to the 69th Berlinale and to foster exchange between film professionals from Korea and abroad.

After KOFIC chairman OH Seok Geun and Korean ambassador to Germany Dr. JUNG Bumgoo opened the event with their congratulatory speeches, some of the film festival guests took the stage. Among them were director ZHANG Lu, whose latest film FUKUOKA was invited to the Forum section; LIM Jae-won, director-general of the National Gugak Center, and actors PARK Sang-joo and LEE Ha-kyung, who represented Kokdu: A Story of Guardian Angels (2018), playing in the Generation section; and director KIM Bora joined by actors KIM Sae-byuk and LEE Seung-yeon from House of Hummingbird (2018).

A number of high-profile guests attended the event. Among them, Carlo CHATRIAN, recently named as the next artistic director of the Berlinale, Alberto BARBERA, director of the Venice Film Festival, Takeo HISAMATSU, director of the Tokyo International Film Festival, and Roger GARCIA, director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, graced the occasion with their presence. Notable figures of the Korean film industry were also present, such as JEON Yang-jun, director of the Busan International Film Festival, LEE Chung-jik, director of the Jeonju International Film Festival, SHIN Chul, director of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, KIM Sun-ah, director of the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival, JUNG Sang-jin, vice-director of the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, and BANG Eun-jin, head of the Gangwon Film Commission.

“The Berlin International Film Festival has great significance to Korean cinema and Korean film professionals”, declared KOFIC chairman OH Seok Geun. “I hope that this event will invigorate cultural exchange between Korean and foreign film people, and that many more Asian films, including Korean ones, will be highlighted in Europe”.