Korean Culture promotion at the Fantasia Film Festival

The Korean Cultural Centre in Canada (KCC) partners with the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival (Fantasia), held in Montreal from July 18 to August 4, to host Korean film screenings and Korean cultural experience programmes.

Now in its 28th year, Fantasia is the largest genre film festival in North America. It introduces fresh and outstanding works and attracts around 100,000 spectators annually. The festival aims to present a wide variety of genres, including traditional genre films, films utilizing cutting-edge technology, short films, animations, and works by new directors. In collaboration with Fantasia, KCC will conduct various cultural experience programmes, such as the 'Makgeolli Workshop' and 'Hanbok Experience.'

This year's festival will feature the omnibus film project <The Killers> by six directors, along with seven feature films, including <Brave Citizen> directed by PARK Jin-pyo, and 20 short films such as <Night Fishing> and <98%>.

KCC will host a Makgeolli workshop on July 24 and 25, in connection with the screening of <FAQ> (2024, Kim Da-min), which won the Aurora Media Award at the 28th Busan International Film Festival. The workshop will explore Makgeolli, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice, and allow participants to make their own Makgeolli. Special guest Carol Duplain Ing, a Canadian who fell in love with Makgeolli during a visit to Korea in 2016 and established a brewery in Quebec City, will lead the tasting and making experiences.

Additionally, the main lobby of Concordia University Theatre, the event venue, will host ongoing Hanbok experiences and Korean food exhibitions during the festival. These activities aim to introduce the diverse charm of Korean culture to the Fantasia audience.

The 'CineMapsosa 2024' programme will also be held, showcasing unique short films by new directors. On Saturday, August 3, 2024, at the KCC in Ottawa, four short films - <Wanna Die, Wanna Kill>, <Memory>, <Hamjinabi>, and <The Rooms> - will be screened, followed by a Q&A session with directors JEONG Jae-hee of <Wanna Die, Wanna Kill> and JANG Ha-won of <Memory>.

The KCC stated, "Through continuous exchanges with large-scale international film festivals in Canada, such as the Fantasia International Film Festival, we aim to promote excellent Korean films to the film industry and Canadian audiences, and to expand interest in Korean culture as a whole."

Information about the Fantasia International Film Festival screenings and Korean cultural experience programs can be found on the Korean Cultural Centre in Canada's website (canada.korean-culture.org) and the Fantasia International Film Festival website (fantasiafestival.com).

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