2025 Korean Film Festival Presents: Scenes on Screen Worth Showing Up For!

We love a film festival that doesn’t drown you in a dozen hard-to-catch screenings. The 2025 Korean Film Festival knows exactly what it's doing — just three unforgettable films that hit three different corners of Korean cinema, spread across three days, and packed with so much flavor you’ll leave the theater full of feelings and probably a few life questions too.

Whether you're after chaotic politics, high-stakes investigations, or survival stories that hurt a little (but in a good way), KFF 2025: Scenes on Screen is your signal to gather the barkada, clear your calendar, and soak up every bit of this free festival.

2025 Korean Film Festival – Events Lineup

August 27 – Talkback Session and Film Screening

Location: Cine Adarna, UPFI, UP Diliman

Reserve your seat: bit.ly/2025KFFTalkbackRegistration

August 27 to November 21 – Production Design Exhibit

Location: Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines

Exhibit: Production Design: Scene Architects Build On-Screen Worlds

Free and open to the public, no registration required

August 29 to 31 – Annual Korean Film Screenings

Locations: SM Mall of Asia, SM City Iloilo, SM Lanang Premiere

Free admission, no pre-registration needed

Ticketing guidelines to be announced

View schedule: bit.ly/KFF2025_ScreeningSchedule

Watch trailers: bit.ly/2025KFF_Trailers

September 26 to 27 – Tingin Southeast Asian Film Festival

Location: Gateway Cineplex 18

Hosted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)

Details to be announced on NCCA platforms

With all these events setting the stage — from the behind-the-scenes design showcase to the rare chance to hear directly from filmmakers — it all builds up to the main attraction. Three bold titles are taking over SM cinemas across the country, and each one hits different. Whether you’re in the mood for something tense, thought-provoking, or flat-out thrilling, there’s something in this lineup for you.

Concrete Utopia

Directed by Eom Tae-hwa

Starring Lee Byung-hun, Park Bo-young, Park Seo-joon

Seoul’s been leveled by a massive earthquake, and what’s left isn’t just rubble — it’s fear, survival instincts, and the slow unraveling of human decency. Concrete Utopia isn’t just a disaster film. It’s a moral pressure cooker, and the cast pulls no punches. Watch this if you're ready for a story that tests what you'd do when everything safe and familiar is gone.

I, The Executioner 2

Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan

Starring Hwang Jung-min, Ahn Bo-hyun, Oh Dae-hwan

Rookie detective. Veteran bruiser. A serial killer taunting them from the shadows. What follows is a whip-smart crime thriller that’s part high-speed chase, part psychological tug-of-war. Ryoo Seung-wan knows how to keep the pressure on, and the performances from Hwang Jung-min and Ahn Bo-hyun are electric. If you're looking for thrills with emotional weight, this one delivers.

Kingmaker

Directed by Byun Sung-hyun

Starring Sol Kyung-gu, Lee Sun-kyun, Jeon Bae-soo

Not every war is fought on the battlefield. Kingmaker takes us into smoke-filled backrooms, where strategy, ambition, and betrayal are currency. The pacing is deliberate, the performances quietly devastating, and the script sharp enough to draw blood. If you like slow-burn political stories that stay with you long after the credits roll, don’t miss this one.

You don’t have to pick just one — but if you do, tell us which film stole your soul. Whether you’re there for the tension, the craft, or just a free movie night with great storytelling, Scenes on Screen is the kind of celebration you’ll want to be part of.

See you at the screenings. Bring snacks. Bring friends. And bring your feelings — you're going to need them.