It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 19th Korean Film Festival in Hungary.

For nearly two decades, the festival has introduced Hungarian audiences to the richness and diversity of Korean cinema, while offering new perspectives on Korean society and culture through the universal language of film.

I would like to sincerely thank our audiences, partners, filmmakers, and supporters, whose enthusiasm and commitment have made the festival possible year after year.

This year’s program once again brings together a diverse selection of films, from major box-office successes to emerging voices and distinctive filmmakers, offering a glimpse into the many faces of contemporary Korea.

Our opening film, The King’s Warden, is a historical drama that tells the poignant story of the exile of the ill-fated child king Yi Hong-wi. A phenomenal box-office success in South Korea, the film attracted more than 16 million admissions by April following its February release, making it the second most-watched and the highest-grossing film in Korean cinematic history.

The Fresh section presents a selection of the most exciting works of contemporary Korean cinema. Spanning a wide range of genres, the program includes an identity drama, a romantic comedy, a supernatural thriller, a demon-hunting action film, and a crime drama.

The Faces section, which each year spotlights one of the defining voices of Korean cinema, is dedicated this year to director Yoon Ga-eun, whose films offer sensitive and deeply human portrayals of childhood and youth.

This year’s Focus section explores the road movie. In these films, the journey becomes both a geographical adventure and a path of personal transformation, telling stories of shared travel, family trauma, and the search for one’s true self.

The Extra section features a special selection presented by the festival’s official partner, the Jeonju International Film Festival. The directors of two of these films will visit Budapest to introduce their works in person and meet audiences in post-screening discussions.

Our closing film, My Daughter Is a Zombie, is a comedy based on the popular webtoon of the same name. With fresh humor and a playful take on zombie movie conventions, it is at once a family drama and a survival story infused with dark comedy. Through the extraordinary circumstances of a zombie apocalypse, the film celebrates the power of love, acceptance, and human connection.

I hope this year’s festival will offer you not only entertaining and memorable films, but also new perspectives on Korea. Whether you are a long-time admirer of Korean cinema or discovering it for the first time, I hope you will find something that stays with you long after the credits roll.

Thank you for joining us, and I wish you an enjoyable 19th Korean Film Festival!

Yu Hye Ryong

Director

Korean Cultural Center in Budapest