[Australia] Korean Film Festival in Australia Announces 2025 Program and Nationwide Free Touring Program
The Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) is set to return in 2025 with a fresh line-up of ten Australian premiere films screening in Sydney, followed by a Touring Program offering free screenings in six regional cities across the country.
Running 21–26 August at Event Cinemas George Street, the Sydney festival features ten films across genres, with four directors and one actor appearing for post-screening Q&As.
Following the Sydney season, KOFFIA will tour Benalla (VIC) (13–14 September), Toowoomba (QLD) (14 September), Parramatta (NSW) (26–27 September), Alice Springs (NT) (3–5 October), Victor Harbor (SA) (4–5 October), and Whitsunday (QLD) (11–12 October), offering free screenings of four selected titles 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.”
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Opening the Festival in Sydney and screening across all regional locations, Hear Me: Our Summer is a romantic drama featuring up-and-coming screen talents HONG Kyung, ROH Yoon-seo, and KIM Minju - former member of K-pop sensation IZ*ONE - in her feature film debut. A Korean remake of the beloved 2009 Taiwanese hit Hear Me, the film follows a delivery worker who falls for a deaf swimmer, bridging their worlds through Korean Sign Language.
SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE FILMS
Six standout titles will screen exclusively in Sydney, giving local audiences access to the newest and most exciting voices in Korean cinema.
Based on the 2011 Colombian film of the same name, the South Korean box office hit Hidden Face stars Korean television household name SONG Seung-heon and Oscar-winning ensemble star CHO Yeo-jeong (Parasite) in a provocative mystery-thriller set in the world of classical music.
Frankenstein Father offers a contemporary reimagining of the Frankenstein myth, following a tightly wound doctor forced to confront his past when a teenager, conceived via sperm donation, storms into his life claiming to be his son.
Former K-pop idol turned actress AN So-hee takes the lead in the melodramatic romance The Daechi Scandal as a Korean language teacher navigating love, reputation and career ambition against the backdrop of Seoul’s fiercely competitive private-education sector.
The sharp and stylish crime thriller Dirty Money plunges into the world of three corrupt cops whose plan to rob a crime syndicate goes violently awry, setting off a deadly chase from both the law and the underworld.
In Secret: Untold Melody, DOH Kyung-soo (D.O.) of Kpop phenomenon EXO headlines a time-bending romantic fantasy adapted from the 2007 Taiwanese cult hit Secret, playing a retired pianist whose love for a fellow student is entwined with a haunting musical mystery.
A newly restored 4K version of Shiri, Korea’s first true commercial hit and kickstarter of the Korean Wave will be presented in Sydney as part of the festival. This high-octane spy thriller follows two South Korean agents as they try to stop a rogue North Korean sniper from unleashing a deadly bomb plot in Seoul.
KOFFIA FREE TOURING PROGRAM FILMS
In addition to Hear Me: Our Summer, three feature selections from the Sydney program will also make their way across six regional cities as part of KOFFIA’s free touring program.
About Family pairs two of South Korea’s biggest names - KIM Yun-seok and LEE Seung-gi - in a comedy-drama about a self-made chef whose world is turned upside down when a group of children walk into his restaurant claiming to be his grandchildren.
Forbidden Fairytale brings a playful, offbeat charm with rising star PARK Ji-hyun and CHOI Si-won of K-pop pioneer group Super Junior as an unlikely duo: a struggling children’s book author and her steamy new ghostwriting gig in the world of web erotica.
Rounding out the touring program, The Noisy Mansion delivers a laugh-out-loud mystery as a determined tenant ropes in a cast of eccentric neighbours to investigate the bizarre sounds echoing through her apartment block.
The four Touring Program films will be screened for free in Benalla, Toowoomba, Parramatta, Alice Springs, Victor Harbor and Whitsunday.
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 attend the Festival in Sydney to present their films and take part in post-screening Q&As.
Tickets for the Korean Film Festival in Australia and the touring program are available to book now at www.koffia.com.au.
DATES AND LOCATIONS:
Korean Film Festival in Australia - Sydney: August 21–26, 2025 | Event Cinemas George Street
KOFFIA Touring Program
Benalla (VIC): September 13–14, 2025 | Benalla Cinema
Toowoomba (QLD): September 14, 2025 | The Strand Cinemas
Parramatta (NSW): September 26–27, 2025 | Riverside Theatres
Alice Springs (NT): October 3–5, 2025 | Alice Springs Cinema
Victor Harbor (SA): October 4–5, 2025 | Victa Cinema
Whitsunday (QLD): October 11–12, 2025 | Proserpine Entertainment Centre
Stay up to date with KOFFIA:
Website: www.koffia.com.au
Facebook: facebook.com/koreanfilmfestival
Instagram: @koreanfilmfestival
Twitter: @koffiafilmfest