The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) is presenting the 2025 Korean Film Festival: Scenes on Screen, which celebrates Korean cinema in screenings, exhibits, dialogues, and competitions. 

The celebration has something for everyone, whether fan, casual viewer, aspiring filmmaker, or full-fledged cinephile. The events are free and open to the public. 

Production Design: Scene Architects Build On-Screen Worlds

Aug. 27–Nov. 21 at KCC 

Cohosted by the Korean Film Archive and the KCC, this immersive exhibit provides an up-close look at the work of the visual architects of Korea’s iconic films: Ryu Seong-hee (“Decision to Leave,” “The Handmaiden”), Cho Hwa-sung (“Hansan: Rising Dragon”) and Han Ah rum (“Kill Boksoon,” “Kingmaker”).

It showcases how words on a page evolve into living, breathing cinematic worlds through design, construction, and storytelling.

Talkback Session: Conversations Between Philippine and Korean Film Experts

Aug. 27 at Cine Adarna, UPFI Film Center, University of the Philippines Diliman

This cross-cultural dialogue explores the creative process behind film production design, storytelling, and the evolving film industries of Korea and the Philippines.

The participants from Korea are production designer Han Ah rum (“Kill Boksoon,” “Kingmaker”), producer RuBi (team manager of ARTCOMPANY HAN), and Park Hee Seong, senior researcher of the Korean Film Council. Filipino filmmakers and representatives of the Film Development Council of the Philippines will also take part in the discussion. 

Likewise to be featured are the screening and awarding of the winning entries in the “Reel Connections: Student Short Film Competition.” The rising talents behind “Seoul Sight,” now gearing up for the 2025 Busan International Film Festival, will be present.

Sign up here: bit.ly/2025KoreanFilmFestivalTalkBackSession 

Korean Film Screening

Aug. 29–31 at SM Mall of Asia, SM City Iloilo, and SM Lanang Premier

This year’s curated lineup of gripping Korean films driven from the “Production Design: Scene Architects Build On-Screen Worlds” exhibit—“I, The Executioner” (2024), “Concrete Utopia” (2023), and “Kingmaker” (2022) should not be missed.

Tingin Southeast Asian Film Festival

Sept. 26–27, Gateway Cineplex 18

Korea takes the spotlight as guest country and in the opening film at the Tingin Southeast Asian Film Festival hosted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts with the theme “Women’s Ways of Seeing.”

The 2025 Korean Film Festival: Scenes on Screen is a proud collaboration of the KCC, Korean Film Council, Film Development Council of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, University of the Philippines Film Institute, SM Cinema and Gateway Cineplex 18.