What’s happening?
The Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) will return in 2025 with a line-up of ten Australian premiere films screening in Sydney before a free Touring Program reaches six regional cities. Toowoomba is among them, with screenings set for Sunday 14 September at The Strand Cinemas.
Why it matters
The festival brings the vibrancy of Korean cinema to regional audiences. KOFFIA Programmer Francis Lee said, “This year’s program is one of our most diverse and exciting yet. From the heartwarming to the hilarious, the thrilling to the tender, each story reflects the vibrancy of Korean cinema today. We are especially proud to expand our Touring Program in 2025, giving more Australians the chance to connect with Korean culture through the power of film.”
By the numbers
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Ten films will screen in Sydney from 21–26 August at Event Cinemas George Street.
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Six cities are included in the free Touring Program: Benalla, Toowoomba, Parramatta, Alice Springs, Victor Harbor and Whitsunday.
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Four films will screen free in Toowoomba on 14 September.
Zoom In
Opening the Festival in Sydney and screening in Toowoomba, Hear Me: Our Summer is a romantic drama starring HONG Kyung, ROH Yoon-seo and KIM Minju, formerly of K-pop group IZ*ONE, in her feature film debut. The story follows a delivery worker who falls for a deaf swimmer, with Korean Sign Language bridging their worlds.
Three more films from the Sydney program will screen free in Toowoomba:
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About Family – starring KIM Yun-seok and LEE Seung-gi in a comedy-drama about a self-made chef whose world is disrupted when children arrive at his restaurant claiming to be his grandchildren.
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Forbidden Fairytale – starring PARK Ji-hyun and CHOI Si-won of Super Junior, following a struggling children’s book author who takes on a ghostwriting job in web erotica.
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The Noisy Mansion – a laugh-out-loud mystery about a tenant who recruits her eccentric neighbours to investigate bizarre noises in their apartment block.
Zoom Out
Alongside the Touring Program, Sydney audiences will see six exclusive titles including Hidden Face, Frankenstein Father, The Daechi Scandal, Dirty Money, Secret: Untold Melody and a newly restored 4K version of Shiri. Directors JO Seon-ho (Hear Me: Our Summer), KIM Dae-woo (Hidden Face), YANG Woo-seok (About Family), LEE Lu-da and actor GYEONG Su-jin (The Noisy Mansion) will appear in Sydney for Q&As.
Local Impact
For Toowoomba, the Touring Program means access to four Korean films free of charge, presented on the big screen at The Strand Cinemas on Sunday 14 September.
What to look for next
Free tickets for Toowoomba’s screenings and other Touring Program locations are available to book now.