The Ottawa Korean Film Festival returns for the 2^nd year!

The 2^nd Ottawa Korean Film Festival begins its 10-day festival on Tuesday October 15th, running until Thursday October 24th. Co-presented by the Korean Cultural Centre(KCC) and the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in Korea, and with the support of the Korean Film Council(KOFIC), the 2^nd Ottawa Korean Film Festival (OKFF) boasts a wonderful lineup of films for fans of all ages and cinematic styles. Despite the wide range of genres, all the films chosen for this year’s OKFF share a common theme under the slogan ‘Family, where story begins.’ 

As the most basic social unit, the family is often the first place where any individual would experience and encounter a story. The OKFF invites viewers to revisit the importance and relevance of family in our lives, through the various ways the family is portrayed in this year’s films, each with their own unique cinematic techniques.

A total of 9 films will be screened at this year’s festival throughout multiple venues in Ottawa, including 5 fiction films and 4 award-winning documentary films presented by the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival.

On Tuesday October 15^th at 7pm, the OKFF will kick-off its opening night at the National Gallery of Canada Auditorium with a much-anticipated screening of <Parasite>, directed by Bong Joon Ho, starring Song Kang Ho, Lee Sun Gyun, and Jo Yeo Jeong. <Parasite> has grabbed the world’s attention by storm, capturing the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Festival. This is the third official screening of <Parasite> in Canada after the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Vancouver International Film Festival, ahead of its official release date across Canadian theatres on October 25th.

Other highlights of the OKFF include Director Yoon Ga-Eun’s latest film <The House of Us> which will be screened on Wednesday October 16^th at 7pm. <The House of Us> is a follow-up to her internationally acclaimed film <The World of Us>, and wonderfully portrays the emotions of youth, in the context of changing family structures and characters.

Also, on Thursday October 17^th at 7pm, Director Bora Lee-Kil’s extraordinary documentary <Glittering Hands> will introduce us to a pair of hearing-impaired parents and their unfolding stories of raising children and facing the world’s challenges together. Director Bora Lee-Kil will be in attendance for a conversation with the audience after the screening.

After taking audiences on a whirlwind journey of K-cinema throughout the festival, the OKFF will come to a close on Thursday October 24^th at 7pm, with the disaster-action-comedy film <Exit>, one of the popular hits of the summer directed by Lee Sang-Geun and starring Jo Jung-Suk and Im Yoon-ah.

OKFF films are screened in multiple venues such as the National Gallery of Canada, Cineplex Lansdowne & VIP, and the KCC Multipurpose Hall. For complete line-up of films, screening times, and locations, please refer to our program details below.

The OKFF comes at a time when Korean cinema is at one its most highest points in history, celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the first Korean film <The Righteous Revenge> released in 1919. The milestone centennial also witnessed the first Palme d’Or for Korea, with Bong Joon Ho’s <Parasite> claiming the prestigious prize providing the occasion for Korean cinema to celebrate the centennial in style.

The KCC is marking the centennial with a special exhibition titled “K-Film POSTERS: 100 years x 100 stories,” showcasing some of the most iconic Korean film posters in its history. The exhibition opened on September 25th, and will close on the same day as the last day of the OKFF. The KCC is located on 150 Elgin Street, Unit 101, and is open from Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm.

<Practical Information>

The OKFF is completely free of admission fees but RSVP is mandatory.

Reservation system will open from Friday October 4^th at 10am, which will be available on this page.

Please note that reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis so early reservations are highly encouraged.

Please note that the times listed are the screening start times, and doors will open 30 minutes prior to screening times. All films will have English subtitles.

For more information on ticketing and schedule details, please visit the Korean Cultural Centre website at: canada.korean-culture.org. 

For inquiries, please contact us at: 613-233-8008, canada@korea.kr  

<Program & Reservation> 

**Due to limited seating, only 2 tickets per person will be available. To respect others' chance to enjoy the event, please cancel your reservations if you cannot attend.

October 15th 7pm <Parasite>, National Gallery of Canada, Auditorium 

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October 16th 7pm <The House of Us>, Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP

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October 17th 7pm <Glittering Hands>, Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP 

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October 18th 7pm <The Evanescent Relief>, Korean Cultural Centre

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October 19th 3pm <The Poem, My Old Mother>, Korean Cultural Centre

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October 21st 7pm <Under construction>, Korean Cultural Centre

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October 22nd 7pm <Innocent Witness>,  Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP

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October 23rd 7pm <MISSING>, Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP 

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October 24th 7pm <EXIT>, Cineplex Landsdowne &VIP 

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>>Line-up

Parasite 기생충

Won Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2019

Screening Date: October 15th

Time: 19:00

Location: National Gallery of Canada Auditorium

Director: BONG Joon-ho

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 131 min

Rating: PG-13

Ki-taek's family of four is close, but fully unemployed, with a bleak future ahead of them. The son Ki-woo is recommended by his friend, a student at a prestigious university, for a well-paid tutoring job, spawning hopes of a regular income. Carrying the expectations of all his family, Ki-woo heads to the Park family home for an interview. Arriving at the house of Mr. Park, the owner of a global IT firm, Ki-woo meets Yeon-kyo, the beautiful young lady of the house. But following this first meeting between the two families, an unstoppable string of mishaps lies in wait.

The House of Us 우리집

Screening Date: October 16th

Time: 19:00

Location: Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP

Director: YOON Ga-eun

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 92 min

Rating: G

During her fifth-grade summer break, Hana wishes to go on a family trip with her mom, dad, and her junior-high brother, Chan. Although the family argues every day, Hana believes everything will be like how it used to be if she could take her family on a vacation, just like the happy family trip picture taken when she was younger.
One day, Hana encounters Yoomi and her younger sister Yoojin -- each nine and seven years old-- whose parents are always out of town, struggling to make ends meet. The sisters spend their summer break with their busy uncle, in a small loft, while their parents are working at a big construction site.

Glittering Hands 반짝이는 박수소리

Screening Date: October 17th

Time: 19:00

Location: Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP

Director: LEEKIL Bora *Director will attend the festival

Genre: Documentary

Running Time: 79 min

Rating: G

Sang-guk and Kyung-hee cannot hear a thing, yet they are a happy couple. Bo-ra, their daughter, gazes at the world of her parents through the viewfinder. What we witness is not only a world of silence, but also a world of beauty where bodily gestures and facial expressions come to life. This film shows us that humanity exists with the imperfection of the body.

The Evanescent Relief 그루잠

Screening Date: October 18th

Time: 19:00

Location: Korean Cultural Centre

Director: RYU Hyung-seok

Genre: Documentary

Running Time: 74 min

Rating: G

In a room full of warm sunshine, Jeong-seok looks at a white drawing paper. Then, she starts painting a tiger family of four. She has been painting tigers since five years ago when she fought against childhood cancer. She thought the tigers would protect her. Now, she paints a tiger again even though she has completely cured cancer as her family sacrificed so much for her.

The Poem, My Old Mother 시인 할매

Screening Date: October 19th

Time: 15:00

Location: Korean Cultural Centre

Director: LEE Jong-eun

Genre: Documentary

Running Time: 86 min

Rating: G

There live grandmothers, who are also poets, in Goksung. They have lived illiterate because poverty and gender discrimination prevented them from going to school. 10 years ago, Kim Sunja, moved into this village and started to teach them how to read and write. Finally, the grandmothers escape illiteracy and write down their own life-filled poems. However, the daily lives of grandmothers are unchanged.

Under Construction 공사의 희로애락

Screening Date: October 21st

Time: 19:00

Location: Korean Cultural Centre

Director: JANG Yun-mi

Genre: Documentary

Running Time: 88 min

Rating: G

A man working at a construction site experiences joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness as if going through an entire lifetime. Proud that his labor contributes to the welfare of society, he connects labor with life. We're reminded of the values advocated by the Saemaul Movement. The journey made by the director to visit places from his father's past overlaps with the history of Korea’s urban development and industrial growth. His father became a tool for the country’s economic development. Yet, being atypical parent of the time he sacrificed everything for his family and like other laborers, was never guaranteed a quality of life. The director now hopes to restore the life of his father who confuses his private life with his role as pillar of industry. To this end, he explores not just superficial memories but also regrets buried deep inside the heart. The film portrays the subtle emotional changes that the director goes through along the way. This painful story retains warmth thanks to the director’s thoughtful gaze towards his family.

Innocent Witness 증인

Screening Date: October 22^nd

Time: 19:00

Location: Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP

Director: LEE Han

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 129 min

Rating: PG-13

"There is a witness. She is on the autism spectrum." 

Soon-ho who once worked as a lawyer for a civil rights organization has set aside his beliefs and joined a large law firm.
Working on a major case that could make him a partner, he wants to put Ji-woo, a teenager with autism and the only witness, on the stand to prove the innocence of a murder suspect. 

MISSING  미씽: 사라진 여자

Screening Date: October 23rd

Time: 19:00

Location: Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP

Director: E.oni

Genre: Mystery

Running Time: 100 min

Rating: PG-13

5 days of mother’s desperate chasing of daughter begins.
Working in TV series marketing, Ji-sun’s daily life is like a war: not only struggling hard at work, she’s involved in a custody battle for her 18-month-old daughter Da-eun. The baby Da-eun spends most of the time with the nanny Han-mae. Luckily, Da-eun seems to get along well with her nanny. One day, when Ji-sun gets back home after work, she finds both Han-mae and Da-eun disappeared. 

Exit 엑시트

Screening Date: October 24^th

Time: 19:00

Location: Cineplex Landsdowne & VIP

Director: LEE Sang-geun

Genre: Comedy, Action

Running Time: 103 min

Rating: PG-13

Yong-Nam was one of the best rock climbers in college but hasn’t had much luck elsewhere after graduation. He has failed to get a job for many years and has to rely on his parents just to get by. For his mother’s 70th birthday, he insisted on having the party at Dream Garden because his old crush, Eui-Ju works there. When a disaster strikes, covering an entire district in Seoul with mysterious white gas, he has to use all of his rock climbing skills.