Complete guide to the Korean Film Festival 2023 in Abu Dhabi

The event will be held over four days at Vox Cinemas in Yas Mall

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  Lee Jung-jae has made his feature directorial debut in Hunt. Photo: Sanai Pictures

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  Alienoid Part 1 takes place throughout three timelines. Photo: CJ E&M

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  Confession is a remake of the Spanish film The Invisible Guest. Photo: Lotte Entertainment

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  Confidential Assignment 2: International stars Yoo Hae-jin, Hyun Bin and Daniel Henney. Photo: CJ Entertainment

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  Fanatic is a documentary from Oh Se-yeon about former fans of fallen Korean celebrities. Photo: AUD

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  The Night Owl is set in the Joseon Dynasty. Photo: Next Entertainment World

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  Pororo and Friends: Virus Busters is the eighth and final film in the Pororo animated series. Photo: Ocon Iconix EBS

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  Mission: Possible is inspired by the Mission: Impossible series. Photo: Merry Christmas Co Ltd

The Korean Film Festival is returning once again.

The four-day event will be held at Vox Cinemas in Yas Mall from June 8 to 11.

“We are delighted to present the 2023 Korean Film Festival, which celebrates the theme of companionship. Through these carefully selected films, we hope to inspire viewers to appreciate the value of friendship and deepen the cultural exchange between Korea and the UAE,” said Lee Yong-hee, director of the Korean Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi.

Here’s a look at what's playing.

Hunt (2022)

June 8 at 7pm

Hunt is the directorial feature debut from Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae, who also appears in the film. It was the fourth highest grossing Korean movie of 2022. The action-thriller takes place four years after the real-life assassination of South Korean president Park Chung-hee in 1979 by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. Set in 1983, the fictional story follows two senior security officers who are tasked with hunting down a North Korean mole who has infiltrated the agency.

Mission: Possible (2021)

June 9 at 5pm

Kim Young-kwang and Lee Sun-bin in Mission: Possible. Photo: Merry Christmas Co Ltd

Inspired by the Mission: Impossible series, the action-comedy follows a Chinese intelligence officer named Wong Iring. She is tasked with finding information about an arms-smuggling ring in South Korea. She is supposed to meet up with a special operative but, in a case of mistaken identity, ends up teaming up with a bumbling and inexperienced private detective named Woo Soo-Han. He believes he has been noticed by the secret service and fast-tracked to the top so decides to co-operate.

The Night Owl (2022)

June 9 at 7pm

The thriller is set in the Joseon Dynasty and tells the story of Kyung-soo, a blind but excellent acupuncturist who cannot see during the day but is able to faintly see at night. One evening, he witnesses the death of Crown Prince Sohyeon and goes on a mission to uncover the truth, revealing secrets and conspiracies in the process.

Pororo and Friends: Virus Busters (2022)

June 10 at 3pm

Pororo and Friends: Virus Busters is the eighth and final film in the animated series. Photo: Ocon Iconix EBS

This is the eighth and final film in the Pororo animated children's series. The plot follows Pororo and his friends as they are turned into squares. Mr Chacha, the deacon of the Game Kingdom, looks to Dr Eddie for help eliminating the square virus that is devastating the kingdom.

Confession (2022)

June 10 at 5pm

The mystery thriller is a remake of the Spanish film The Invisible Guest. It tells the story of Yoo Min-ho, a man who becomes the prime suspect in a murder that occurred in a locked room, but he insists he is innocent. He hires lawyer Yang Shin-ae, who has yet to lose a case in her career. Together they try to figure out the truth of what really happened.

Confidential Assignment 2: International (2022)

June 10 at 7pm

Yoo Hae-jin, Hyun Bin and Daniel Henney in Confidential Assignment 2 International. Photo: CJ Entertainment

This action-comedy film is a sequel to 2017’s Confidential Assignment. North Korean detective Im Chul-ryung once again teams up with detective Kang Jin-tae, who ends up on the cybercrime department after getting kicked off the investigation team. Together they pursue North Korean crime leader Jang Myung-joon in South Korea.

Fanatic (2021)

June 11 at 5pm

Fanatic director Oh Se-yeon based the documentary on her own experiences. Photo: AUD

The documentary from Oh Se-yeon follows former fans of fallen celebrities. Oh herself was an avid fan of former singer-songwriter and entertainer Jung, who gained fame after finishing in third place in Mnet’s music show Superstar K4 in 2012. However in 2019, he was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the Burning Sun scandal and subsequently retired from the entertainment industry. She meets with other fans of the convicted singer who are feeling similar mixed emotions – confusion, anger and sadness.

Alienoid Part 1 (2022)

June 11 at 7pm

The sci-fi action film takes place between three timelines. A swordsman in the late Goryeo dynasty obtains a fabled, holy sword known as the Divine Blade, while humans in present-day South Korea chase after an escaped alien imprisoned in a human body. The timelines cross when a time portal opens up, causing chaos. It was South Korea's ninth highest grossing film of 2022.

More information at www.k-filmfest.com