By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Myrtle Iris Villaraza
There's good news out there for all the film buffs, especially fans of Korean movies. The Philippine 2017 Korean Film Festival opens next week. The event will be held from September to October in six different cities and provinces in the Philippines. Admission is free.
Manila
SM Megamall, Cinema 6
Sept. 7 to 10
Davao
SM Lanang Premier, Cinema 1
Sept. 14 to 17
Iloilo
SM City Iloilo, Cinema 8
Sept. 21 to 24
Cebu
SM City Cebu, Cinema 5
Sept. 28 to Oct. 1
Pampanga
SM City Clark, Cinema 3
Oct. 5 to 8
Cavite
SM City Dasmarinas, Cinema 5
Oct. 12 to 15
The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) has posted the following information and rules regarding the film festival.
Manila Screenings
- The first screening will be a VIP event and open only to a limited number of audience members.
- Tickets are available for free outside the cinema.
- Tickets will be released on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Viewers are suggested to line up outside the cinema and wait for the release of tickets.
- For the first screening at 12 p.m. noon, the tickets will be released one hour prior to the screening of the film, or earlier if the number of people in line is already too many to be contained in the waiting area.
- For the subsequent screenings, tickets for the next film will be released 30 minutes after the start of the prior movie, i.e., tickets for the 3 p.m. screening will be released at 12:30 p.m. and tickets for the 6 p.m. screening will be released at 3:30 p.m.
- One person can only get one ticket for themselves. If they wish to get a ticket for another person, they must get back in line to get another ticket.
- Only food bought at Snack Time, the SM Cinema food concession, will be allowed inside the cinema.
- The KCC reserves the right to refuse admission to any patron for any reason.
Regional screenings
- The first screening will be a VIP event and open only to a limited number of audience members.
- Tickets are available for free outside the cinema.
- Tickets will be released on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Viewers are suggested to line up outside the cinema and wait for the release of tickets.
- Ticketing procedures will vary depending on location. Please follow the direction of the SM Cinema staff.
- Only food bought at Snack Time, the SM Cinema food concession, will be allowed inside the cinema.
The movies to be shown this year are "My Brilliant Life" (두근두근 내 인생), "Twenty" (스물), "How to Steal a Dog" (개를 훔치는 완벽한 방법), "Very Ordinary Couple" (연애의 온도), and "The King of Jokgu" (족구왕).
 |
| 'My Brilliant Life' is a drama starring Song Hye-Kyo and Kang Dong-Won. (Korean Film Biz Zone) |
 |
| 'How to Steal a Dog' is a crime-drama-family film starring Kim Hye-Ja, Lee Re, Choi Min-Soo, Kang Hye-Jung and Lee Chun-Hee. (Korean Film Biz Zone) |
The KCC has been hosting a Korean film festival for several years now, with screenings in different parts of the country to cater to many people.
On Oct. 15 last year, my sister and I attended the 2016 Korean Film Festival at SM Megamall in Manila. The theme was “Strong hearts.” The festival featured five different movies that depicted people’s strong spirit and determination amid life’s overwhelming difficulties.
 |
| The 2016 Korean Film Festival in Manila is held at Cinema 6 of SM Megamall. (Myrtle Iris Villaraza) |
 |
| People carry festival brochures. We wanted a copy, and a nice woman gave us her copy. Thank you! (Myrtle Iris Villaraza) |
 |
| Take a look inside the 2016 Korean Film Festival brochure.( Myrtle Iris Villaraza) |
Last year was our first time to attend the film festival, and we wanted to see all of the films that day, but due to time constraints, we decided to see just one movie.
We chose to watch "The Suspect" (용의자) (2013), an action thriller film starring Gong Yoo, the famous actor we know from soap operas like "Coffee Prince," "Big" and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," and from the movie "Train to Busan."
 |
| Waiting is never a problem if you know it’s for something worthwhile. Here, we eagerly wait in line to be let inside Cinema 6 for the movie 'The Suspect' last year.( Myrtle Iris Villaraza) |
"The Suspect" is about a former North Korean spy who's abandoned and betrayed by his own country during a mission. As he runs away, he faces serious challenges that test his heart and willpower. These include discovering that his wife and kids have been killed by a colleague, and being accused of murdering a man who became his boss when he defected to South Korea. During his escape, he's helped by a documentary maker as they try to uncover the truth behind an important secret entrusted to him by his boss.
When the movie ended, the cinema was filled with the sound of applause. Many people even rose to their feet to give the screen a standing ovation. The movie was great and I highly recommend that you see it. It’s a combination of suspense, action, drama and even comedy. It also has clever plot twists that will most likely leave you stunned.
 |
| My sister and I are so happy to experience the 2016 Korean Film Festival. (Myrtle Iris Villaraza) |
When we left the cinema, we still had a faint hope to see another movie, but we learnred that many people had already lined up for it. We asked one of the staff members if the number of people who attend the Korean Film Festival is always like that every year. She smiled and said yes.
 |
| Each year, lots of people flock to the Korean Film Festival in the Philippines. (Myrtle Iris Villaraza) |
As mentioned earlier, the tickets are free. However, based on our experience and as mentioned in the guidelines above, it’s good to be at the festival venue early. This way, you’ll have a higher chance of getting a ticket because they run out fast. You can also ask for a ticket from the Korean Film Festival staff at the venue. Last year, there were only 500 tickets available per movie screening, the same number of seats available in the cinema.
So, mark your calendar now and get ready for the 2017 Korean Film Festival! You won’t only have lots of fun, but you’ll also take home some valuable lessons you can apply to your life and share with your family and friends.
For a detailed screening schedule and more information about the movies, please check out the official website and the Facebook profile for the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines:
Enjoy! =)
wisdom117@korea.kr
